Silent Cries
by that-annoying-chick
Summary: Kurt never met Blaine and the bullying escalated to a point where Kurt refuses to talk to anybody. What happens when Kurt moves to Dalton? Will Blaine and the rest of the Warblers be able to break the silence?
1. Silent Cries

Hi! So this is my first story which I originally published on Wattpad (yes, I know)- warnings for themes of sexual abuse, violence and some very small references to cutting/suicide

Disclaimer: I do not own glee, only my OCs. Sorry.

* * *

The coiffed haired boy walked nervously behind his father into the large private school, each of his timid steps shaking as he went. Kurt slowly entered the doors, keeping an eye on his dad, one of the few people he knew he could trust. As his eyes darted around the room, he didn't register the beautiful layout or the calming neutral tones as the old Kurt would, instead he searched for the exits and ways to run if he needed to. The glamorous chandeliers along with the detailed artwork went unnoticed whilst Kurt mentally counted the amount of boys who passed them because Kurt wasn't the innocent, unbroken boy from before, instead he was a scared, empty shell of a teenager, silencing himself against a world that had sent nothing but pain his way.

"Yes, I'm Burt Hummel," Kurt heard his dad say to the secretary, funny, he hadn't even realised they'd stopped walking. "I'm here with my son, I think the Dean was expecting us?"

"Of course sir, if you'd like to go through that door at the end, he'll be waiting for you."

"Thankyou." Burt turned and walked down the empty corridor. Kurt surveyed it for a moment, windows decorated the walls but the only way out of the corridor that he could see was the entrance. "Kurt?" He heard his dad call, questioning him to see if he was ok. Kurt nodded and quickly followed him, his dad knocking on the mahogany door before walking in.

Kurt again looked around at the room, it was more spacious in there, giving it a lighter friendlier mood. The peach and blue tones matched eachother well and Kurt couldn't help admiring it before stopping himself, bringing back the thick walls which separated the out and proud Kurt and the shy, crushed boy he was today.

"You must be Kurt Hummel," the Dean said, addressing him first and holding out his hand for a second before realising the timid boy who was staring at it in fear wasn't going to shake it. "And you're Burt Hummel?" The Dean guessed.

"Correct," answered Burt, shaking the other man's hand firmly.

"I'm Henry Grayson and I'm in charge of this school. I'd like to personally assure you Kurt will be safe at this school and will always be in good hands," Kurt began to slowly zone out after that, allowing his father to collect the necessary information, his ears only pricking as the smartly dressed man mentioned the no bullying policy. Kurt assumed this wasn't real although the teacher may want it to be, no school could be rid of bullies- he would always be the victim.

"I have a packed of information for Kurt: it includes his dorm key and number, the name of who he's sharing with, timetable, map and lunch card," Kurt rejoined the conversation again, listening to the man carefully as he saw his dad shift in his seat. The boy immediately glanced nervously around the room, then was stopped by a rush of guilt. He was safe here, remember?

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and Kurt tensed, freezing like a deer in front of some headlights. No, not a deer actually, a rabbit. People usually usually stopped if they saw a deer. Burt had noticed the change in Kurt's body language and went to place a calming hand on his son's shoulder but drawing it back as Kurt flinched heavily. Instead, he sent a small, encouraging smile his way which the teenager quickly returned.

"Come in," the Dean called, after watching the silent exchange. A dark haired boy entered the room, an uncertain smile on his face as he looked at the Dean.

"Sir."

"Kurt, this is Nick Duval and he'll be showing you around for the first week. He'll also be your mentor so you can ask him any questions you may have as well." Nick turned to Kurt, still smiling and held out his hand but Kurt drew away worriedly. This boy had the body of an athlete which was accompanied with a self-assured smile; Kurt was sure he was just another jock who would make his life hell.

"Nice to meet you, Kurt," the other boy dropped his hand unquestioningly and instead waved friendly.

"If you'd like to follow Nick, he'll give you the tour." The Dean nodded to the door excusing them and the trio walked out. Nick walked in front, allowing a short distance between him and the family as they parted ways. The father and son hugged tightly and Nick couldn't help wishing his father, who barely ever had time for him, was more like the older man. Burt gave his son an encouraging smile, making Kurt promise to visit and text him whenever he could before pulling the teenager into another hug and leaving.

"Kurt?" The blue eyed boy looked at him for a moment, a slight fear in his eyes before silently following him. "So who's your roommate then?" Nick asked politely before remembering the other boy didn't talk and instead he looked at the dorm key which had an a number and letter inscribed on it: W221. "Oh your in Windsor! I'm in that house too and by the looks of it I'm only two doors down. You're supposed to be sharing with Blaine Anderson, you'll like him, he's a good friend of mine," informed Nick as Kurt inwardly groaned. Brilliant, he was sharing with a jock who would probably keep him up half the night and then destroy half his things. Great.

"Jeff's in the room in between us and he shares with Trent, much to my distaste. I've tried to get them to let me swap with Trent for ages but apparently they have a rule about sharing with your boyfriend," smiled Nick, happily as they both walked up a set of beautiful stairs. Wait, this boy was gay? "Anyhow, here's your dorm," the boy said, indicating to a door and putting the key on the slot. Nick wandered into the room with Kurt, eagerly showing him the bathroom and telling him more things about the shared dorm. "You're allowed to put up any posters you want and you can add furniture if you like. There's an ensuite bathroom attached through this door which you can put your toiletries in. I'll come back in half an hour for you for dinner so you can unpack your things in private." Nick left the room, gently shutting the door and Kurt slowly slumped on his bed, avoiding his suitcase which had been carefully placed at the end. He looked searchingly around, taking in the sight. Katy Perry CDs had been stacked neatly on the tall, double bookshelf which held everything from Shakespeare to J.k Rowling and Rick Riordan. Kurt walked over to the Harry Potter books, about to reach out and touch one before he drew his hand back: there was no sense getting his dirty hands all over it and making his roommate hate him more than he already would for having to share part of his room. Instead, Kurt studied the rug on the floor which matched the bold coloured curtains and he couldn't help admiring the risky, yet clever, choice. It was ok to let his guard down when there was nobody around, after all, when he was alone, no one could see his facade crack and the tears pour. The boy turned away from the decorations and the thoughts and began to unpack, breaking down half way through at the sight of the photos of him with his dad before it had happened. He barely recognized the boy in the picture with the smile that actually met his eyes, he missed that boy, he just wanted to return to being normal and whole. The many counsellors he had visited had said he would eventually, but how long would that take? Kurt curled up into a tight ball, leaning against the vanilla coloured wall. Suddenly, he heard footsteps approaching.

* * *

Blaine Anderson crawled out of his bed, rubbing his eyes sleepily and yawning as the cold morning air hit him. He tiredly traipsed over to the bathroom and stepped into the shower, allowing the hot water to relax his muscles and prepare him for the day whilst he rubbed strawberry and vanilla shower gel onto his toned body. Yeah, it was branded for and targeted at women but he really didn't care, it smelt nice and that was all that mattered to him. After he had washed the bubbly foam off him and shampooed and conditioned his hair, Blaine stepped out, wrapping a blue towel around his waist and walking into his dorm to dry himself and pull on his much loved school uniform. Once he was done, the curly haired teenager pulled out his hairdryer and blew the hot air through his ringlets, allowing it to evaporate the moisture before walking back to the bathroom and peering in the mirror. Huh, his hair was still the untamed mess it usually was. Blaine picked up his comb and carefully brushed the coils before drowning it all in a quarter of a tub of gel. He preferred his hair like this, smart and preened to perfection, it made him feel like he blended in better to the private school which felt more like a home than his real one did.

The boy then checked his watch, knowing he should probably give the room a quick clean and clear some shelves for his new roomie to use. He hadn't been told much about the other boy, only that his name was Kurt Hummel, he didn't talk and Blaine shouldn't push the other boy for answers. The boy was a mystery and Blaine just hoped the transfer wasn't homophobic or a control freak. Of course, he would accept him even if he was and would act polite whenever he were around him, he just didn't want things to be awkward. It wasn't as if Blaine was afraid, he was lead singer of the warblers: he sung to crowds for goodness sake, he just didn't want someone to spoil his safe haven, although he knew this was unlikely.

Blaine was rescued from his thoughts by a knock on the door and a grinning Jeff and Nick entering the room.

"Morning Blainey."

"Jeff, I thought we agreed not to call me that," replied Blaine, smiling his the enthusiastic friend.

"No, I think you mean that you whined and told me to stop. I never agreed." Blaine huffed in reply, amused.

"Me and Jeff were just going to breakfast, do you want to come?" Nick asked.

"Sure," answered Blaine after surveying the room to see if his side didn't look overly messy.

"Blaine, relax," said Nick, guessing at what his friend was looking at, "it's perfectly tidy."

"Yeah, come on Blainey, it looks fine."

"Jeff, I swear if you call me 'Blainey' one more time I will take all your hair dye and hide it for a year!"

"Help me, Nick," answered the other boy, hiding playfully behind his boyfriend.

"You two are going to scare the new kid in seconds if you carry on like this," said Nick, looking fondly at the pair, "now come on, I want my coffee."

The three boys finally walked out the door, Jeff practically skipping as Blaine locked the door and put the key in his Dalton messenger bag. They headed down to the cafeteria, spotting Wes, David and Thad on the way and joining up with them before finding a large table and putting down their things so they could go collect their food. Blaine walked first over to the coffee station, quickly pouring himself his usual medium drip and he couldn't help wondering if his new roommate drank the dark fluid. He shook this thought from his head, instead concentrating on getting his cereal and then walking back over to his friends. Wes and David were chatting together about something, drinking their coffee- both boys didn't like eating this early in the morning, instead opting to have a snack bar between first and second period; Nick and Jeff were both giving eachother heart eyes and feeding the other boy small bits of egg and bacon whilst Thad was talking to Trent who had just joined the table, holding a jam coated slice of toast. Blaine smiled at his assortment of friends, he was closer to them than he was his own family- with the exception of Cooper of course- and he loved them.

"Blaine, you're back! How are you?" Wes asked and Blaine turned to him, allowing himself to get pulled into conversation.

It was four o'clock and Blaine was sitting in maths, desperately trying to understand what the teacher was saying about imaginary numbers but only getting more and more confused. So there are imaginary numbers now? What are they going to tell us next, unicorns are real? Blaine looked down at his pencil, twirling it thoughtfully it his fingers; Nick had just left to show the new kid -no, his name is Kurt- around and Blaine was missing his smart friend who usually explained what the teacher was saying in simpler terms so he could understand as Blaine did for him in biology. It was quite a good deal when Blaine thought about it, this way both boys got excellent grades in everything which their teachers highly approved of.

"Mr. Anderson?"

"Please call me Blaine, Mr. Anderson is my father," he replied, using his instant charm he had learnt from his older brother on the now smiling teacher.

"Ok Blaine," she blushed lightly at the dapper boy, "can you tell me what I was just saying?"

"Honestly Miss, no," he answered, deciding to play the 'innocent' card "I have a new roommate coming today and I guess I got distracted by it. Sorry, I'll try not to let it happen again."

"That's ok, just try to concentrate." Blaine nodded, smiling politely at the woman as Jeff sent him a look from across the classroom which almost shouted 'if-that-was-anyone-else-they-would-had-a-detention'. Blaine merely beamed wider.

The bell eventually rang, indicating the end of today's studies and Blaine hurried out of the door with Jeff, grinning profusely.

"I don't know how you can get away with that," said Jeff, looking at his friend in slight awe.

"Get away with what?"

"Flirting with the teachers!"

"I wasn't flirting, you know I'm gay."

"That didn't seem to stop you back there."

"It wasn't flirting!" Blaine answered indignantly, "it was more the Anderson charm."

"'The Anderson charm', really?" Jeff scoffed.

"You're just jealous."

"Of course I am, whenever I try what you do I get freaked out looks and detentions!"

"And who did you try it on?"

"Mr. Odaire," mumbled Jeff quietly.

"Mr. Odaire?" Blaine erupted into a fit of giggles, Mr. Odaire was one of the oldest and strictest teachers they had at Dalton.

"Hey, don't laugh."

"I'm sorry, I just-" he stopped as he was overcome by another wave of laughter.

"Whatever," he heard Jeff say, blushingly. Blaine was still laughing when the pair reached the commons, slumping into the comfortable sofas.

"What's up with him?" Nick asked, walking into the room with Wes.

"Well..."

"Nothing!" Jeff cut off Blaine, sending him daggers, "I mean, erm...how was the new kid?"

"He's alright, doesn't talk and seems very shy but he looks like a good person."

"So he doesn't have a hunchback?" Wes asked teasingly, referring to Blaine's voiced worries from earlier in the week.

"Or huge, yellow teeth?" said Jeff, joining in.

"What about skull tattoos which cover half his face?"

"Don't forget glowing red eyes which pierce through your soul."

"No," laughed Nick at the boys' antics, "he's perfectly normal."

"Dang."

"In that case, I'm going to go drop off my bag," said Blaine, "i don't particularly feel like dragging it to dinner."

"Bye Blainers, don't get killed!" Blaine turned and looked weirdly at Jeff who was now cuddled warmly against Nick. "What?"

"Nothing," replied Blaine, turning away and heading up the airy staircase and pulling out his key to unlock his door. He slid it through the hole and turned it but to his surprise, it was already open- right. The new kid must be inside. He stepped in and to his surprise heard several heartbreaking cries. He turned the corner to locate the noise and was breathtaken by the sight which met his eyes.


	2. Flashbacks

**_There are mentions of sexual abuse in this chapter and they're in italics if you don't want to read them and if any of you are suffering from any kind of abuse please contact the police or someone you love immediately. It is not your fault and you're not alone._**

* * *

Kurt peered over his knees fearfully, salty tears dripping down his face and onto his shirt. A boy stood there, frozen at the sight of him. Of course he froze, Kurt didn't blame him after all, who wouldn't? He was just another broken soul, another filthy gay, a playtoy for bullies worldwide. Kurt rested his head back on his legs, returning to the fetal position and silently begging the other teenager to leave and let him drown in his self hatred.

His body shaking and his mind overcome with emotion, Kurt didn't hear the curly haired boy approach him and bend down by his side until he was right next to him. Kurt was starting to struggle for air and he suddenly began to panic, unable to breathe. He saw Blaine out of the corner of his eye and instantly flinched away from him, expecting a beating at any moment.

"Kurt? You are Kurt, right? My name's Blaine, your new roommate? I'm not going to hurt you but I need you to calm down." Yeah right, that's what he had said, he would be alright. It wouldn't hurt a bit. He deserved it.

"Kurt? Please, I need you to calm down." Blaine's shouts were getting further away as Kurt struggled with the fight to breathe. He was going to die, he knew it but he didn't want to. Even after all that had happened to him he needed to remain strong for his dad. Of course, Kurt had thought about suicide but never really considered it as an option for him, his mother wouldn't have wanted it and his dad would have another heart attack and Kurt couldn't be the reason his dad died. He just couldn't. And so Kurt didn't want to die, he had to stay alive for his family. "Deep breaths, Kurt, please." Kurt took his last, panicking look at the hazel eyes which were locked on his before he fell unconscious and was pulled into a flashback.

* * *

_It was two weeks before it had happened and the bullying Kurt was facing was getting worse. The locker slams had turned into vicious punches, the slushies into mouldy, soft fruit. Kurt was walking down the corridor on his way to glee club, gingerly searching for the jocks before he turned to walk down the empty corridor. Suddenly Kurt felt a himself being grasped from behind and his breath hitched, preparing to scream for help. Out of nowhere, a sweaty, beefy hand planted itself on the small boy's mouth and he found himself being dragged into a small closet, the burly jock blocking the door. _

_"K-Karofsky?" _

_"Hello slut." _

_"What are you doing, let me go!" Kurt began to shout for help maniacally, all to used to being beaten up by him and trying to desperately push past the thickset bully. Karofsky quickly stopped him, sharply grabbing his hair and shoving him hard against the chemically stained wall. "Dave, please-" The skinny boy was cut off as a pair of rough lips attacked his, making Kurt gag at the foul taste from the older boy's mouth. Karofsky used this to his advantage, his tongue intruding Kurt's mouth as he struggled for air. _

_"Don't worry," Dave mumbled, his mouth still pressed against the other teenager's, "you'll be fine as long as you don't tell anyone, it'll be our little secret." Karofsky suddenly released his tight hold on the boy who promptly fell to the floor in shock. The jock looked at him for a moment before kicking him in the ribs for good measure. "Good boy!" He praised cruelly, "maybe now you'll man up and stop being so gay. Don't forget, you deserve this, Hummel. All your singing, the dancing, flouncing around in your tight jeans," Dave was stopped for a second as a moan escaped his mouth at the thought, making Kurt feel even more disgusted. "Yeah, you were asking for it." _

_The bully left and Kurt was left reeling. What had just happened? Kurt felt a wave of nausea as he rolled to his side and threw up, just laying there. He never wanted to move from that spot, to have to get up and carry on as if nothing happened- that was the first day Kurt Hummel ever thought about death._

* * *

"Kurt? Kurt!" Blaine shouted at the boy, trying to sound and remain calm he'd be no use if he started panicking- but in was no use. The younger boy had already passed out and Blaine quickly took his pulse, afraid he had died. Of course, Blaine knew it was silly and what was happening. Kurt had just had a panic attack, like Blaine had often had before after- nope he must'nt think about that now, he had to focus on Kurt. He leant over the boy, laying the fragile boy down on the bed and carefully levitating his feet so the blood flow would go to his head. He wasn't too sure if this would help the gorgeous boy but he had often woke up after a panic attack with his legs raised so he thought it would be worth a try. Blaine's heart wrenched when he looked back down at the small boy whose face was scrunched up showing a faint look of disgust, hate and, was that pity? The dark haired boy didn't have anymore time to check if it was for at that moment, his future roomie started to stir and Blaine moved back to his side in a flash, ready to comfort or assure the boy if needs be.

Kurt slowly opened his eyes, adjusting them to the evening light and trying to figure out where exactly he was. His eyes picked out his suitcase at the end of his bed, oh right, Dalton. The next thing Kurt spotted was the gelled haired boy at his bedside- Blaine, Kurt remembered the other boy's name to be as the memory of what had just happened flooded back to him and Kurt felt himself start to cry again and mentally cursed. If all he did around this person was cry, they would surely soon spread the message and he would once again be the target of many cruel jokes and attacks. He closed his eyes, expecting Blaine to run away and escape, instead of this though, Kurt felt warm arms being wrapped around him and he couldn't help but relax into them. They weren't tight and constricting like Karofsky's were, they were gentle and loose, allowing him to break the hug if he wanted to. But he didn't, preferring to melt into the hold because although they had just met, Kurt couldn't help but be comforted by the shorter boy. He'd avoided hugs with his family and friends for too long and welcomed it, even if it was from an almost complete stranger. But Kurt didn't feel he didn't know the other boy, Blaine had stayed with him all through his panic attack even when he woke up, sticking by his side and actually caring, in short, Kurt trusted him, even if it was only a very tiny bit.

"Would you like me to get you a doctor?" The other boy asked, scrutinizing Kurt for any more signs of panic or if he was feeling sick or dizzy. Kurt shook his head in return, he didn't want to have to meet more people than necessary and besides, if he called a doctor, his dad was bound to find out and Kurt didn't want to risk his heart anymore. " Well, I'm Blaine if you don't remember from before. I'm sorry if I scared you when I came in, I've gotten used to living on my own." Oh God, this boy did hate him.

"Wait, no, I didn't mean it like that," said Blaine quickly, reading Kurt's expression, "I've been looking forward to getting a new roommate, I get rather lonely on my own." Blaine flashed Kurt a reassuring smile which Kurt timidly returned. "I mean, seriously, Disney and Wicked are great but they don't quite make up for a friend who could be sitting with me and talking."

Kurt drew away from Blaine when he said that although he couldn't help thinking the boy was all bad if he liked Disney, and the shorter boy looked at him confused, thinking back to what he last said. Of course, sitting with him and talking. Ah.

"Crap, Kurt please forgive me, I didn't mean it like that, I think it's nice your quiet. No, that came out wrong too, I just mean my friends are usually really talkative, not that I don't want to be your friend because I do. I just mean-" Blaine was stopped from his rambling as Kurt held up his hands, using the universal sign for stop and accompanying it with a small smile to let Blaine know he was forgiven. Blaine smiled back at him and checked his watch for the time, ok, more for a distraction to hide his blushing cheeks but who could blame him? Kurt was breathtaking. "Oh my gosh, it's quarter to seven, we only have fifteen minutes to get dinner! Come on, I'll show you the way."

The others boy tensed, unliking the thought and shaking his well cleansed head at the eager boy, petrified of being in a huge mess hall with hundreds of other boys and longing to be alone once more. Well ok, maybe not hundreds, but still quite a few other kids. Blaine looked at him, questioningly, "you can't skip dinner, it's a really important meal." The porcelain skinned teenager nodded his head in reply, disagreeing although secretly he was starving.

"Ok, you need to eat, what about if I was to get some food and bring it up here for you to eat? I don't want to leave you alone, I've done that and trust me, it's not very nice to be with just your thoughts, especially after an attack." Blaine said, cottoning on to the fact that Kurt may not want to be around the other boys just yet. Kurt deliberated this in his head for a minute, if he allowed Blaine to do this, he was opening up a perfect opportunity for an awkward silence and intruding questions, but if he didn't, Blaine may continue to try and drag him down to dinner with everyone else; he seemed strong enough despite his height. In the end, it was Kurt's stomach which decided for him, growling loudly as Blaine laughed, Kurt flinching warily at the noise. "Well, I guess that's the decision made, I'll be right back, please don't hurt yourself when I'm gone," he smiled kindly, leaving the room.

It was only when Blaine had shut the door Kurt realised what he had really meant by that.


	3. Blaine

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OCs. I know, it sucks.**

Blaine dashed down the staircase, almost jogging into the mess hall and over to the food bar, not wanting to leave his newfound friend alone for too long.

"Blaine!"

"You took your time for someone who was just dumping their bag."

"Blainers, come sit with us."

Blaine? What's the matter?" The short boy turned to his friends who immediately stopped asking him questions, silencing themselves by giving the distraught Blaine a hug. "Blaine, what happened?" Wes asked again, pulling his friend down next to him and looking him seriously in the eyes, wondering if he was ok.

"Nothing, just...Kurt."

"Kurt?" Of course, Wes hadn't met the new arrival yet.

"Shit!" Nick cursed loudly, much to the disapproval of his fellow scholars, "I was meant to bring him down to dinner."

"Don't worry about it, Nick. I just came down to get him something. I just- he looked so scared and delicate. I don't want him to be another Mark." Wes pulled Blaine into another hug, longer and tighter this time: more comforting.

"Blaine, that won't happen to Kurt, he's at Dalton. He's safe."

"But-"

"Blainers, trust us, we won't let him do that. For one thing, Kurt will have us, whether he likes it or not. He'll have friends and will never even get a chance to feel the way Mark did," said Jeff, reassuring his upset friend.

"I- no, your right. I'm sorry, I'm being silly."

"No, your not," corrected David, "your being human. It's ok to get upset and don't you dare think for one moment that we think you're being silly because we have known you since you moved to Dalton. We're family, and family don't consider other members problems 'silly'."

"Yeah," agreed Nick, "a problem's a problem no matter what the size."

"I guess, thanks guys."

"It's fine, Blaine, we're just doing what friends do."

"Yeah," smiled Blaine weakly, "anyway I'd better go get some dinner for me and Kurt. I'll see you later?"

"Yeah, tell us how it goes!" Wes called after Blaine as he walked back to the cafeteria. "Do you think he'll be ok?" He asked David, turning to his best friend.

"He'll be fine, he's strong. I'm pretty sure him and Kurt will get along fine." Little did he know just how right he was.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Blaine walked slowly back up to his room, carefully balancing the large amount of food on the tray. He carried a wide variety of foods which ranged from chicken salad to vegan curries, it was fair to say he wasn't sure what Kurt liked. His hands full, he used his elbow to open the door and as he ambled in his eyes rested on the frail boy. Kurt hadn't seemed to have moved a muscle since Blaine left and the short teenager felt another tug at his heart.

"Kurt? I'm back," he said quietly, not wanting to scare the other junior. "I brought the food," laughed Blaine nervously, "I've um, kind of got a bit of everything, I wasn't sure what you prefered." He looked at the floor sheepishly.

Kurt looked up in shock at the Blaine, nobody had ever been this nice to him before and he was wary of the teens intentions. But Blaine didn't really seem the type to hurt him, after all, what kind of person brings you dinner before they beat you up? Mind, Karofsky never seemed to be the type to be gay, but look how he turned out.

"So Kurt," the slim boy must have tuned out because now Blaine had moved to his side, perching on the edge of Kurt's bed whilst Kurt now pressed himself against the wall, Blaine ignored this. "What would you like?" Kurt hesitated, still wondering why the other boy was being so kind, before reaching out and timidly taking some salad. "Come on, you've got to eat more than that," whined Blaine, childishly, "otherwise I'll have to have the rest and I'll get fat." Kurt stared at the other scholar, why did he care about that? "Here," Blaine handed Kurt a few slices of the pizza the boy had been absentmindedly staring at, "eat." Blaine then picked up a slice and began munch on it as well, getting off the padded chair and climbing onto his own bed, hoping this would help relax Kurt some more. Blaine didn't really care about the calories in the food, he just wanted an excuse to get Kurt to eat more- he was already very slight.

"So Kurt, tell me about yourself. Wait nope," Blaine corrected himself hurriedly as Kurt stopped eating. "Sorry, I'm not very good at conversations," or at least, conversations with people as beautiful as Kurt, "what about if I asked some questions and you just nodded or shook your head?"

The timid boy contemplated this mentally, weighing up the pros and cons- if he said no, he could upset Blaine who may take his anger out on him, even if he didn't seem the type. On the other hand, if he said yes, he was opening himself up to unknown and potentially intruding enquiries which could lead to him accidentally allowing the old Kurt to come out of his shell. Kurt bit his lip, thoughtfully.

"It's okay if you don't want to," said Blaine, his voice puncturing through Kurt's battling worries. Oh God, was he getting annoyed already? Kurt hastily shook his head, he would answer Blaine's questions.

"Are you sure? I don't want to be imposing." Kurt nodded his head, trying to communicate that he was fine with his decision.

Blaine watched as the other teenager nodded and gave a gentle smile, thinking up a few ideas to talk about. He definitely wasn't going to mention the panic attack, knowing that could result in a reaccurance, besides Kurt seemed fine now. He also didn't want them to be too personal or about why he moved, no, he had already been warned by the Dean not to push Kurt about that unless he wanted to talk about that, he instead tried to think of some which could be answered easily and without much thought.

"Okay, so...favourite genre of film? Umm, sci-fi?" He looked at Kurt who shook his head- Kurt had decided to give the honest answer to this question, after all, if he lied more questions about that genre could be asked which he wouldn't be able to answer. "Action?" Again, Kurt shook his head. "Thriller? Fantasy? Romance? Well this is harder than I thought it would be," laughed Blaine as Kurt answered them all with a no.

"Musicals?" Blaine's eyes lit up as Kurt hesitantly nodded his head. "Me too! Finally, someone else! Nick and Jeff always make fun of me when I try to make them watch one with me. Don't tell them this, but I also have a very large collection of Disney movies, I just love them as well." Kurt looked at the ecstatic boy and couldn't stop a smile creeping onto his face- he was obviously very attached to the movies.

"Any pets?" Blaine paused as Kurt shook his head, "me neither, my dad never-" he cut himself off before he finished the sentence. Kurt didn't need to know about that just yet. "Anyway, do you drink coffee?" Kurt smiled as he confirmed this- of course he did, how else was he expected to get up in the mornings?

"Ok, so coffee order?" Blaine asked whilst Kurt concealed a slightly smug look, he was never going to gut this. "Hmm, you first picked the salad so I'm going to hazard a guess whatever it is, it's non-fat." Blaine grinned when he spied a surprised raise of the eyebrows from Kurt. It really wasn't very difficult to guess, especially with the other boy's small figure. "Ok, now it gets hard, umm...What size do you get? Small, medium or large?" Blaine said, making signals with his hands for Kurt to copy. He paused thinking as Kurt gestured large. "So, a grande, non fat...hmm...expresso?" Kurt shook his head as Blaine continued to make wrong guesses. "Mocha?" He guessed eventually after naming as many other types that he could possibly think of and nearly giving up. Blaine was rewarded by a dip of the head from Kurt and he beamed. Not only had he guessed it right, but Kurt was starting to open up a bit more, even if the improvement from the boy he had first met was rather small.

Kurt, who had now stretched out of the ball he had been curled into and sat with his arms crossed against his chest, his legs only slightly bent up in front of him, looked inquisitively back at the uniformed teenager, returning the question. "Oh me? I have a medium drip," smiled Blaine at the nervous teen.

"Do you play any instruments?" He asked next and Kurt quickly affirmed it, "piano? Yay! First time!" Blaine stood up and did a tiny victory dance getting a tiny bit carried away, making Kurt let out a small giggle, "I play the piano as well, along with most others, I think it's fair to say I love music." Blaine blushed as he realised what he had just done- brilliant, now Kurt was going to think he was completely weird.

He took another slice of pizza, distracting himself from the angelic boy and walking over to the bookcase, "have you ever read Harry Potter?" Kurt snorted, of course he had, they were only the most totally awesome series he had ever read (and then quite possibly obsessed over for the next few years of his life). "Yeah, I love them to, although I can't help feeling sorry for Voldemort and thinking him and Quirrel would have been amazing together and one of the reasons Voldemort hated Harry was because he blamed him for Quirrel's death," said Blaine, turning back to Kurt. "If you ever want to read them, please feel free to borrow mine. Oh, that reminds me, I cleared some room if you wanted to put your books of it." Blaine searched the room, wondering what the other boy had done with his stuff before realising he hadn't even unpacked yet during all the chaos. "Sorry, I got carried away, I didn't realise you haven't unpacked fully yet. Would you like a hand?"

Kurt deliberated this, did he really want Blaine to go through his things with him, he did have some rather eccentric outfits he might laugh at, however, it would mean it was done quicker and Kurt really didn't like unpacking.

"Great!" Blaine said as Kurt agreed, "do you mind if I put on some music though?" Kurt shrugged and Blaine turned on his CD player, pressing the play button and allowing the sound to carry through the room.

'Last Friday night, yeah we danced on table tops' Kurt looked questioningly at the humming boy, seriously? Katy Perry? He didn't seem like the type of person to like her music, even though he had admitted to liking musicals and Disney movies. "What? She writes good music," defended Blaine, seeing Kurt's look before he could rearrange it into a different expression. "Anyhow, where do you want to start?"

Kurt turned and opened his suitcase, pulling out some brightly coloured skinnies and looking at Blaine who had grabbed a hanger. "Wow Kurt!" He said, admiring the pants and handing the hanger to his roommate who promptly took it and hung them carefully in the spare wardrobe Blaine had declared as Kurt's, "where did you get them? They're amazing!" Kurt beamed at the compliment, he'd only ever recieved them from a few people and timidly showed Blaine the label. It read Abercrombie and Fitch. Kurt reached back into his suitcase, pulling out more clothes and hanging them up, Blaine often admiring them and occasionally asking if he could look at the label to see where it was from. Eventually they finished and Kurt brought out a couple of books, looking at Blaine for permission to put them on the bookcase. Blaine immediately complied, helping Kurt carry them and unload them onto the empty shelves; he looked at the books as he put them up and smiled at them- Kurt had plenty, from The Fault In Our Stars by John Green to the Goosebumps series, he was obviously a keen reader.

Once they had finished, Blaine checked his watch for the time and was shocked to see they'd been in the room for one and a half hours, his friends would surely be wondering were he was.

"Kurt? Would you like to join me and my friends in the commons and watch a movie with us?" Blaine asked, watching for Kurt's reaction, he wasn't sure if the other boy was ready to meet them yet. The other teen looked at him, returning to his original state of fear. He was afraid of being with other boys again, he didn't want to be ridiculed and alienated like before. Kurt wasn't sure if he could face that and still keep up his facade of being strong. "Kurt? You don't have to, I was just thinking I could introduce you to some people before your classes tomorrow, that way you'll be sure to have friends to sit with in them." Kurt bit his lip, it did seem like a good idea to meet them but he still wasn't sure if he was ready.

"You'll be perfectly safe, I'll be by your side all the time," assured Blaine, guessing what was going through his roommate's mind. Kurt looked at him trying to get the courage to face his fears, he felt an odd bond with the short boy and couldn't stop himself from trusting him. Blaine held out his hand, giving Kurt the choice to either stay in the room or come with him. Hesitantly, Kurt reached out his and intertwined his hand with the other and followed slowly Blaine out the door.

"I'm so proud of you."


	4. Boyfriend

Kurt gasped as Blaine lightly pulled him down the corridor, his hand never leaving the other boy's. Had Blaine really just said that- that he was proud? Why would he be? Kurt was a nobody and certainly didn't deserve Blaine's kindness. Did he mean it? Only his dad had ever told him that along with his mother.

"You ready?" Kurt looked up, puzzled, realising they had come to a stop outside a deep, cherry coloured door with an intriguingly patterned archway overhead. Dalton clearly had hired a very good interior decorator. "They're just through here." Taking a deep breath, the chestnut haired boy nodded shyly, inwardly bracing himself for the onslaught he was sure to come. He briefly wondered why he had allowed Blaine to introduce him to them, but quickly stopped that thought by gripping the teen's hand tighter as Blaine slowly pushed open the entrance to the room, displaying four boys sat on irresistibly comfortable looking sofas, arguing profusely about a film.

Kurt was shocked when he saw them, he didn't like loud noises since that day when- nope, Kurt couldn't think about that, especially right now. Suddenly, it crossed his mind what the other boys might think by him holding Blaine's hand, he didn't want them being homophobic around him already. Kurt hurriedly tried to undo their joined fingers but Blaine, guessing what Kurt was attempting to do, merely squeezed Kurt's gently, wordlessly reminding the timid boy that he was safe.

"I'm the one with the gavel and I saw we're watching the jellyfish documentary, it looks interesting."

"Wes, we don't want to hear about them and their lost anus'!"

"Yeah, I agree with Nick. We've been forced to watch your precious documentaries to much, I vote we watch Jaws instead."

"David, Jaws is practically a documentary itself!" Wes defended, "it's a film about sharks' feeding patterns and how they can change due to humans with just a few added special effects."

"Blaine!" Jeff shouted suddenly, interrupting the loud squabble and running over to the doorway, hugging his friend. "And..?"

"Guys, this is Kurt, my new roommate. Kurt this is Jeff, Nick, Wes and David." Kurt let out a small breath he had been unknowingly holding in thankful Blaine hadn't elaborated much on who he was.

"Oh hello Kurt," grinned Jeff, pulling a surprised Kurt into an energetic hug. Kurt tensed as the arms wrapped around him and he heard Blaine take an audible gasp beside him. Kurt was startled to find he didn't mind it though, Jeff reminded him undeniably of Brittany: both people he could tell from a glance wouldn't hurt a fly. However, this still didn't stop a strangled wince creeping up his throat. If Jeff noticed though, he didn't show it, keeping the friendly smile on his face as he skipped over to another boy Kurt recognized as Nick, and lovingly gave him a tiny kiss him on the cheek. To Kurt's amazement, none of the boys sat around them looked disgusted at them or acted like there was anything out of the ordinary. What was happening? They were in Ohio!

"Hey Kurt," Nick said tentatively, after giving his boyfriend a kiss in return, "I'm sorry for not meeting you for dinner. I got distracted and it was my fault." Kurt smiled at Nick, letting him know he was forgiven- Kurt didn't feel he could manage anything more, he was reeling at the unexpected yet welcome apology and glanced at Blaine, seeking reassurance.

"Nice to meet you Kurt," said Wes next, "I'm sure Blaine has told you a lot about me, I'm one third of the warbler council. The Warblers are our acapella singing group, but again, I'm sure Blaine told you about that?" All of a sudden, the dapper boy holding Kurt's hand began to have a coughing fit, distracting Kurt so he'd turn to face him and, doing so, Blaine shot him a meaningful look. After checking he was definitely okay, Kurt turned back to Wes, nodding his head to agree with the other teen and silently crossing his free fingers discreetly behind his back.

"Right Wesley," cut in David, walking up to shake Kurt's hand who shyly took it before nervously stepping back, standing now more behind Blaine than beside him, "because they're not going to have anything better to talk about."

Wes rolled his eyes, "you're just jealous."

"Of what exactly?"

"Guys, can you please take your flirting elsewhere?" Nick asked, playfully teasing the boys before putting a DVD into the slot.

"Says the person who spends his whole day having eye sex with Jeff," spluttered Wes.

"I can't help it, he's just very attractive," he answered, swiftly planting a kiss on his boyfriend.

"Anyway, we've already discussed this- me and David are both straight, we have girlfriends!" Blaine started to cough again, one of them sounding suspiciously like the word 'beards'. "Excuse me, Blaine?" Ah, Kurt guessed the other boy must have picked up on the word as well.

"Nothing," he answered grinning cheekily as Nick and Jeff giggled loudly.

"Good, don't make me go fetch my gavel." Blaine gasped in mock horror.

"Wesley darling, come sit down and watch the film," said David, before his best friend did something he'd later forget.

Wes sighed loudly, allowing himself to obey David, "of course, honey." Wait, what?

"Wes and David are both part of an epic bromance," explained Blaine, spying Kurt's expression which rapidly turned into a blush.

"Yeah, although like we said, we're pretty sure it's something more."

"Jeff!"

"Fine Wesley, we'll discuss it another day," muttered Jeff grumpily, "now come sit down Blainers! The film's starting, Kurt come sit with us!" Kurt raised his eyebrows at Blaine- Blainers? Really?

"Jeff, I told you not to call me that!" Jeff just cheekily poked his tongue out, burying himself into Nick who promptly cuddled back. Kurt took a sharp breath, what was Blaine going to do next? Oh crap, he was right in hitting distance as well, he could go back to being a throw toy in seconds and-

"Kurt?" Blaine asked, studying the teen's expression and squeezed his hand comfortingly, "do you want to sit down? I'd sit as far as you can away from Niff though, they tend to spend most of their time watching movies making out."

"Hey!"

"We do not!"

"Yeah, it's usually more three quarters of the time," said Nick, playfully kissing Jeff's neck to prove their point.

"Nick!" Jeff giggled, "anyway, what's niff?"

"Your couple name," decided Blaine, "after all, your always both so attached by the hip, well, in this case the mouth, that I got bored of saying both your names."

"Oh."

"We like it!" Blaine sighed at the pair's antics and turned, leading Kurt to a large sofa near the back of the room, careful to choose one which, if Kurt needed to leave, could do so without disturbing the rest of the boys.

"Nick, what movie did you put in?" Wes asked curiously.

"Iron man."

"Again?" David whined.

"Yeah, besides Robert Downey Jr is hot!"

"Nick!" Wes mocked gasped, "you have a boyfriend!"

"Doesn't stop him from being hot."

"I'm with Nick on this one," agreed Jeff, "he is hot."

"I give up on you two."

"Ha, Wes! I knew you were gay!"

"What- no, Jeff, I didn't mean it like that!"

"Whatever."

"Guys, the film!"

"Sorry David." Kurt listened to the boys amused, yet still scared. He couldn't stop thinking at the back of his mind they would soon realise how repelling and dirty he was and turn on him. He didn't want to see Blaine when he finally saw this, thinking it would break him to see the one person who had been by his side, encouraging him since he first got to Dalton. Or at least, since his panic attack which he had decided not to think about. Somewhere between Kurt's thoughts, he had curled up into a ball, sinking into the warming cushions. In the darkness, the boy's cheeks were damp and Kurt realised he must have been crying.

"Kurt?" Blaine's voice whispered, just loud enough for Kurt to hear amidst the explosions radiating from the tv- Stark was on his first mission in his suit and turmoil followed him. Kurt didn't make any movement to show the other teenager that he had heard him, keeping his head by his knees to hide his face but he knew, by the light of the tv, Blaine could still see him. "Come here," the short boy sat closer to Kurt, hugging him soothingly and pulling him towards him to lean on. Blaine knew this could scare Kurt even more and almost let go of him so he could sit back up before he realised Kurt wasn't struggling. "It's going to be okay Kurt, I'm here for you," whispered Blaine in Kurt's ear, holding the frail boy tighter and resisting the urge to kiss his forehead. Nope, no, Blaine couldn't think like that. He didn't know what Kurt had gone through but he guessed it was bad, Kurt didn't need someone trying to make a move on him. Instead, Blaine resorted to rubbing the boy's back in attempt to calm him, only stopping when he heard gentle, even breaths coming from Kurt, signalling he was asleep. Blaine sighed contentedly and closed his eyes too, allowing himself to become sleep's victim.

_Kurt sat in glee practice, listening to Rachel moan repeatedly at Mr. Schue for giving Mercedes a solo at Sectionals instead of her. It had been a week since Karofsky had kissed him and, although he got occasional odd looks from him, Karofsky had avoided him for most of the time. Of course, the other jocks continued to frequently beat him up but that Kurt could deal with. What he couldn't was being kissed against his will, because if his dad ever found out, he could be at risk of another heart attack and Kurt quite simply could not lose his father. The bell rang loudly, interrupting Rachel's protests and the other teenagers filed out, Kurt staying behind to practice his scales. _

_Fifteen minutes later, Kurt left the room feeling satisfied with his ever growing progress. He walked happily down the otherwise vacant corridor, stopping at his locker to collect his books for tonight's shed-load of homework. As he was closing the door, he felt goosebumps on his skin and he frowned- yes, he was only wearing a t-shirt and vest but it was the middle of summer; it was boiling hot outside. Trying to shake off the feeling, Kurt turned and, before he could take a step, he was met by Karofsky, breathing heavily with his uncleansed face inches from Kurt's spotless one. _

_"Miss me, pretty boy? Really, it's been too long, I feel like I've abandoned you, I think it's time for a little catch up, don't you?" Without waiting for an answer, the bully grabbed Kurt's arm and, after checking for any witnesses, dragged Kurt roughly into the male bathroom, knowing it would be empty at this late hour. _

_"Help! Please, somebody!" Kurt shouted as he was pushed hard against the whitewashed walls. _

_"Shut up, lady face!" _

_"Dave please, I swear I haven't told anyone." _

_"Of course, otherwise you'd be dead by now, I wonder how your dad's heart would cope with that? No, I just missed you Hummel and decided you deserved a reward for your silence." _

_"No," begged Kurt as he was cut off by Dave's lips pressing against his. The jock bit down hard on the smaller boy's lip, making him gasp and Dave used the opportunity to slip his tongue in, ignoring Kurt's gags. _

_"Dang Hummel, you taste so good," muttered Karofsky through the kiss, trailing his hand down Kurt's back and- Oh God. Kurt jumped heavily as Dave's hand squeezed his backside. Karofsky's lips moved to Kurt's neck, sucking and kissing, forming a small hickey. His hands trailed to Kurt's front, attacking his jeans until he succeeded at unbuckling them. _

_"No, no! Please, this isn't happening. Dear God, this isn't real, help! Anybody, HELP!" _

_"There's nobody around to hear you scream, you're mine." As if to prove his point, he slipped his hands down Kurt's boxers and the tears Kurt had been trying to hold back betrayed him, pouring down his face like Niagara falls. _

"No, no no no no no."

"Kurt? Kurt!" Blaine had been woken by the other boy shaking uncontrollably against him with tears cascading down him.

"Should I fetch a teacher?" Wes asked, a trace of panic in his voice. The film had finished and the four other boys had crowded around Kurt and Blaine, seeing their friend trying to calm the sleeping teen.

"No, yes? I don't know, I think the best thing to do would be to give him some room so when he wakes he's not surrounded by people- that would probably scare him even more."

"Yeah," said David as they all took a good few steps back from the pair, distancing themselves from them. "I wonder what he's dreaming about," he thought aloud, watching the whimpering boy roll uncomfortably, cuddling into Blaine as if trying to protect himself.

"Kurt, Kurtie, it's time to wake up," said Blaine, softly nudging his distressed roommate.

"Kurtie," smirked Nick, trying to diffuse the tension.

"Shut up Nick, I think he's waking up."

"Kurt, come on, I need you to awake," Blaine watched intently as he saw Kurt begin to become conscious, slowly opening his eyes to the world.

The first thing Kurt noticed when he woke up was the voices around him and he immediately thought he was in a hospital, knowing him though, a mental hospital. That was, until he realised they weren't the voices of his parents and his pillow was unnaturally hard, much unlike the ones he kept in his room and the doctors used in the wards. He slowly opened his eyes and peered through his eyelashes, the world blurry. As he looked up, he saw a silhouette of a boy which he appeared to be leaning against. Kurt felt the fear creeping up on him; the familiar yet unknown voice, waking up on a boy who had his arms around him, the tears- had Karofsky? Before Kurt could stop it, a loud scream escaped from his throat and his breathing had turned into hyperventilating, what had happened?


	5. Coffee

**The song in this chapter is Untitled by Simple Plan- again, I own nothing **

* * *

"Kurt, calm down! It's me, Blaine, you were having a nightmare." Kurt bolted away from the other boy, desperately trying to even out his breathing even though he was still petrified. "Shh, Kurt, it was only a dream, you're safe," said Blaine, edging towards the terror stricken boy and placing his hand on Kurt's shoulder.

_You're safe, I won't hurt you, you'll enjoy this just as much as I will_. Kurt heard the phantom words in his ear and felt nauseous, retracting away from Blaine.

"Kurtie?" Jeff asked, slowly walking towards him and holding up his hands to show be meant no harm, "breathe."

The world was now slowly coming into focus for Kurt and, as he looked around the room, he remembered where he was. Karofsky wasn't here, instead he was replaced with five other boys he had met earlier. Through shuddering breaths, he peered through his wet eyelashes and saw the boy he had been leaning on was Blaine, his roommate and Kurt relaxed slightly- deep down he knew the shorter teen wouldn't hurt him, even if he didn't trust him fully yet. With those final thoughts, Kurt jumped to his feet and, distressed tears still dripping down his face, ran from the room.

Blaine froze, his brain still struggling to register what happened, and watched the door gently shut behind the tearful boy. The noise brought Blaine to his senses and frantically leapt to his feet, only to be stopped by Wes.

"Blaine, stop. Let him go, he needs time."

"But I need-"

"No," said David firmly, joining Wes to help prevent Blaine escaping, "do you remember when you came here? You needed time to be alone and so does he."

"Blaine, he'll be okay," interjected Nick, as Jeff hugged Blaine consolidatingly.

"But what if he-"

"Blaine," Wes said, pulling Blaine back onto the sofa, "you've got to understand, he's not like Mark."

"I know but...I- I just don't want anyone else to have to feel like that."

"And he won't. I said it before and I'll say it again: Kurt will have us, he's safe and you need to understand that."

"Yeah," whispered Blaine through sobs, collapsing into Wes' open arms, "you're right."

* * *

Kurt sank onto his bed, trying to calm his breathing and rid the memory from his head. Plugging in his iPod to help him bottle in his aching screams, he flicked through his music, selecting a song. He had changed a lot of it since Karofsky had first attacked him: switching from show tunes to more darker tunes which he felt he could connect to easier. He rested his head back, allowing the music to fill his thoughts: he may not sing anymore but he still liked to listen to it.

**_I open my eyes_**

**_I try to see but I'm blinded by the white light_**

**_I can't remember how_**

**_I can't remember why_**

**_I'm lying here tonight_**

He thought back to the time he had sat, razor blade in hand, considering his choices, it had been a week after he had first been kissed and the bullying was still getting worse which Kurt had at first thought was impossible.

**_And I can't stand the pain_**

**_And I can't make it go away_**

**_No I can't stand the pain_**

_**How could this happen to me**_

_**I made my mistakes**_

_**I've got no where to run**_

_**The night goes on**_

_**As I'm fading away**_

_**I'm sick of this life**_

_**I just wanna scream**_

_**How could this happen to me**_

_**Everybody's screaming**_

_**I try to make a sound but no one hears me**_

_**I'm slipping off the edge**_

_**I'm hanging by a thread**_

_**I wanna start this over again**_

Kurt remembered being sat in glee practice; they had a duet assignment and Kurt was sat forgotten at the back, wondering if he was even noticed anymore.

_**So I try to hold onto a time when nothing mattered**_

_**And I can't explain what happened**_

_**And I can't erase the things that I've done**_

_**No I can't**_

He reminisced in the vague memories when his mom was still around, when all his problems could be solved with cookies and a hug.

_**How could this happen to me**_

_**I made my mistakes**_

_**I've got no where to run**_

_**The night goes on**_

_**As I'm fading away**_

_**I'm sick of this life**_

_**I just wanna scream**_

_**How could this happen to me**_

_**I made my mistakes**_

_**I've got no where to run**_

_**The night goes on**_

_**As I'm fading away**_

_**I'm sick of this life**_

_**I just wanna scream**_

_**How could this happen to me**_

Kurt couldn't hold back the tears threatening to pour down his face and he rolled onto his side, letting them fall. He folded up his legs, holding himself as the sobs shook out of him and he thought about the events from the day, confusion mixing with the pain. Why had Blaine been so kind to him? Did he not know what he was? He remembered what Blaine had said earlier, that he was proud of him. He still didn't understand yet he was still grateful. The shorter boy had treated Kurt with respect, something Kurt had stopped giving himself months ago. Also, why were Nick and Jeff so open with their relationship? Surely they knew what would happen to them? Unless the no bullying policy was actually real..?

Kurt looked up at the ceiling, as if expecting the answers to be there.

'What did I ever do?' He thought, 'why can't I just be normal?' The tears were now dripping onto his bed, dampening the sheets but Kurt didn't really care, merely thankful he could break down somewhere without his father finding out. He knew the effect that could have on his Dad's heart.

He fished his phone out of his pocket and checked the time- 10:30. Kurt had recently replaced his old one with an unfashionable yet sturdy Nokia after his old one had been smashed; he still hadn't told his dad about that yet though. Of course, when he had to downgrade his phone he had been upset but part of him couldn't help feeling relieved. The cruel messages he used to receive on his previous number had stopped which meant he never had to be careful about when he went on his phone or the company he was with when he did so. His new phone number Kurt had only given out to his dad and Carole, knowing if he gave it out to Finn, Rachel would soon get it and, from her, the rest if the glee club along with possibly the anonymous sender of the hate. He loved Finn, he really did, but he was very easy to persuade due to his slight lack of brain cells. He felt bad not giving it to Mercedes though, she was his best friend before he had started pulling himself away from his friends, he wasn't sure if they were friends anymore though. Due to Kurt's fright and wariness, they hadn't spoken in weeks. But maybe it was better that way, after everything that had happened, perhaps he was better off without friends?

Then why couldn't Blaine leave him alone? Sure, Kurt was thankful for the other boy's introductions to his friends but why? Why would he want to associate himself with someone as damaged as Kurt? He thought back to when he had woken up and ran out, the pain of Blaine's face had spoken more than words ever could and the shy boy had wanted to hold him and tell him he was okay. But he wasn't.

Kurt briefly considered writing a note for Blaine, just a short oneworded one saying thankyou. It would be easy and he could assure his roommate he didn't hate him, but on the other hand, Kurt didn't want to let him in. Because the closer someone gets to you, the easier it is for you to get hurt. Slowly, Kurt was pulled into sleep's midst and the boy's worries grew less and less powerful.

* * *

Blaine gradually walked back to his room, Wes and David at his side to make sure he stayed in his current calm state. It had been an hour since Kurt had disappeared back to the dorm as his friends had restrained him from vanishing after Kurt. The only reason they were letting him back now was because of curfew and even then they had tried to convince him to spend the night in one of their rooms.

"No Wes, Kurt shouldn't stay alone for that long."

"I'm just saying maybe he doesn't want to be with someone else when he wakes up, you saw how he reacted earlier!"

"I have my own bed, I'm not going to be right next to him like before."

"But-"

"Stop Wes, I know you're only caring for me and him but, trust me, it'll be easier to have someone there, even if it doesn't seem that way. Besides, what if he has another nightmare?"

"And then wakes up in a strange room with someone else? Hmm..."

"Yeah, in the darkness unable to see. I should know better than anyone how much nightmares can scare you, and trust me, that didn't seem like an ordinary nightmare."

"Just...we don't want to see you getting hurt," said David eventually.

"And I won't," reassured Blaine, "now, I'm going to go to bed, I suggest you two go as well."

They had came to a stop outside Blaine's door and, after saying their goodbyes, departed in their separate directions. Blaine snuck through the door, cautious so not to frighten Kurt. Although the light was on, the other boy was curled on his bed asleep and Blaine watched him for a moment: he looked so tiny from this angle, almost pitiful. Blaine bit his lip, and, stopping himself from hugging Kurt again, walked over to his bed, collecting his pyjamas and walking into the bathroom. Once he was changed and had cleaned his teeth, the now curly haired boy padded over to Kurt's side, unable to prevent himself from pulling the blanket over Kurt's body. He smiled fondly at him before switching off the light and falling asleep in his own bed.

* * *

When Blaine awoke the next morning to the sound of the shower running and he sleepily realised it must be Kurt as the other teenager's bed was now empty. Wincing slightly from the cold, Blaine pulled himself to his feet and slipped on his dressing gown, heading down to the kitchens for his usual coffee.

He returned ten minutes later, holding two beverages having been able to recall Kurt's coffee order from yesterday. However, when he opened the door, the drinks nearly slipped through his grasp from shock.

Kurt was standing by his wardrobe, now facing him and trying to cover his naked chest. They both stood in shock, Blaine feeling slightly nauseated at the previous sight of Kurt's back- it was painted black and blue with large bruises, tainting his porcelain skin. A thick scar ran down his back which he had spotted before Kurt had turned. Kurt's eyes were wide with fear and Blaine knew he should say something soon before Kurt had another panic attack.

"I- erm, I brought you some coffee, I thought you'd like some."

Kurt didn't react, still hyperventilating slightly.

"It's your usual order, the one you told me yesterday? Anyway, I- I'm going to go have a shower, I'll meet you out here in a bit?" Blaine vanished into the bathroom, worrying about Kurt and how he had gotten so hurt. He couldn't believe anyone would want to harm such an innocent, almost childlike boy.

Meanwhile, Kurt was still reeling- Blaine had seen his injuries and was sure to now realise what a loser he was. He was almost guaranteed that by lunch everyone would know and he would lose all chance of being able to be normal even if he had lost it already by not talking. Kurt hurriedly pulled on his blazer and knotted his tie before hastily almost running out the door, not wanting to run into Blaine again. He didn't really care about where he was going, he just wanted to escape to being with himself. To being alone. To being able to shut himself away from the rest of the world.


	6. Classes

**Disclaimer: *insert witty disclaimer here***

* * *

Kurt looked around lost as he came to a halt outside a small, metal door. He hadn't ran in a constant direction, preferring to take multiple rights and lefts until he wound up in a narrow, winding corridor, dirty whitewashed walls towering over him. Kurt began to feel slightly claustrophobic, unliking the trapped sensation that was overpowering him, it reminded him greatly of his days at McKinley. Hugging himself, Kurt leant exhausted against the blue opening and was surprised to find it give way beneath his weight, swinging unshut to create an entrance.

Kurt didn't know why he was so shocked at this- it was a door after all and they usually lead to another room. He supposed it must be because it was Dalton, he thought the locks would be stronger and looked after instead of rusting with age. Shrugging it off, he peered his head through the doorway, desperate to escape the windowless hallway yet afraid to enter a room he hadn't been introduced to. This usually meant he wouldn't be allowed to visit it which could result in detentions, or, if a student like Karofsky found him, a beating, if not worse. However, the room was silent, not showing or making any signs of life and so Kurt, deeming it reasonably safe, stepped in, pulling the door shut behind him. He gasped when he realized where he must be standing.

An extensive, onyx coloured stage stood at the front, bare except for an ebony piano situated on the right hand side, daring Kurt to approach it. Deep royal navy blue coloured curtains with defined, red side piping hung by the sides, matching Kurt's uniform and the cherry, padded seating which covered most of the carpeted floor. The entrance Kurt had found seemed to be one of four; a pair of double doors stood at the back of the pathway through the sea of seats which Kurt assumed must be the main way in, another was opposite the one Kurt had walked through claiming the title of 'fire exit' and the fourth lay almost hidden at the side of the stage, allowing a way off besides the steps for the performers. It seemed to be an auditorium, like McKinley had, only this one seemed better maintained, if slightly disused. Almost without conscious thought, Kurt gingerly walked closer to the steps, climbing them and immediately felt at home in front of the vacant chairs. He had missed this sensation, the feeling that rushed through him when he was on a stage- since Karofsky first cornered him he hadn't had the confidence to perform in front of his friends, therefore he had avoided the auditorium in case they had tried to make him sing.

A bell shook Kurt from his daydream which Kurt figured must be the warning sound for class. He took one more glance around the nearly disturbingly soundless room, wondering what it would be like when it was brimming with life, before dragging himself away from the instrument towards the unlocked door. As he left, Kurt turned his gaze back around the auditorium, silently vowing to make a return.

Realizing he still was unsure of where he was, Kurt reached into his limited edition Marc Jacobs bag and pulled out his map. If Kurt was at McKinley, he would usually have avoided using the satchel as he didn't want the expensive fabric ruined from slushies; he still disliked using it here but he trusted it at home with Finn even less. At least he could try to guard it here.

His cerulean eyes searched the detailed diagram for the auditorium and was surprised when the map didn't show it. Was he not supposed to go in there? Was it a secret room? Did they just forget to draw it on? Kurt shrugged away his questions with a sigh before timidly scurrying back through the dark corridor, nervously glancing around for a window or something to stop the intense feeling closure overcoming him. Eventually his seeking gaze fell on a room which unidentified to belonging to the Math department and Kurt managed to find the location of it on his map; it turned out he was in the southeast corner of Dalton, the opposite direction of his dorm room.

Checking his phone for the time, he realized he was now late for his advanced french class and took a right, thanking his lucky stars that it was just two buildings over, past English and Math and near the Thatcher dorms. He opened the door cautiously and wasted no time in ascending the staircase in front of him, trying to be quick so his teacher might forgive him without a detention. Kurt's eyes scanned the door number for his room: F8. When he found it, Kurt paused outside, checking his uniform for creases before taking a deep breath and pushing it open.

The room was filled with blazer clad boys and Kurt was thankful to see Blaine wasn't there- he didn't really want to talk to him about his bruises without a well thought out excuse so the chestnut haired teenager had decided to avoid his roomie for now as a way of procrastination. A bespectacled man with a retreating hairline stood at the front, wearing a disapproving expression which seemed to be aimed at Kurt.

"Mr. Hummel, I presume?"

Kurt raised his eyebrows in polite surprise this man knew his name. He guessed The Dean must have informed him.

"Why are you late? I appreciate that it's your first day but we don't tolerate tardiness at Dalton."

Kurt stared wide eyed at the teacher trying not to start shaking, hadn't he been told that he didn't talk?

"Well?"

Kurt's breathing became more irregular, trying to force back the memories threatening his mind.

"Please, Monsieur, Kurt doesn't talk."

"Wesley Montgomery, do not interrupt me."

Kurt threw a frightened yet grateful smile in Wes' direction, biting his lip as he turned back to the Professor. He surveyed Kurt in return, noting the slight shaking and nearly paranoid emotion decorating his pale face.

"Ok Kurt," he sighed finally, "you may take a seat, but stay back after class. I need to talk to you about something."

Kurt gulped, worrying about the man's intentions, he had always been rather untrusting since Karofsky had- nope, he shouldn't think about that, he'd rather avoid having a panic attack in front of a teacher. They had a tendency to pry if you did something like that.

Kurt looked around the room for a spare seat and was rewarded by Wes pointing madly to one beside him. Unfortunately for Kurt, who was hoping to get a seat by himself, there were no other vacant chairs and so he hesitantly claimed the one beside the grinning boy, pulling out his pencil case as Wes handed him a fresh exercise book which was standard for this class.

"Hey, Kurt," whispered Wes quietly as Kurt shyly returned a smile.

"I heard Blaine was looking for you, did you find him?"

So Blaine was trying to hunt him down? Well, Kurt could easily play that game after his practice with the jocks at McKinley and hide from him, slipping through the cracks in Blaine's search which would be in vain.

"Kurt?"

Wes looked confused at Kurt who had turned away at the question, refusing to answer. Avoiding Wes' gaze, Kurt vaguely pointed to the teacher who was saying something about French verbs, of course, being fluent already in the subject, Kurt didn't need to cover this but Wes still took it as a good excuse, quieting for a few seconds.

"Do you understand anything he's saying?" Wes asked, not three minutes later. Kurt sighed exasperated, ignoring the other boy's attempts at conversation.

"Y'know, it's nice having another friend in this class, David takes German and Nick and Jeff are always too lovey-dovey for my taste, they could at least save the eye sex for after classes. Then Thad and Trent are in the set below us, it's strange really, Thad is a complete bookworm yet he's not top at English or French. Instead it's Maths! Did you know, there's a rumour Thad owns more books than our library, including several books in languages he doesn't even understand. Sometimes I really-"

"WESLEY MONTGOMERY!"

Kurt jolted as the Professor shouted loudly from the front.

"Y-yes sir?" Wes stuttered in reply, slightly embarrassed at being caught talking. He was a perfect student and generally rather well behaved in class.

"Would you like to inform the class on what is so important you feel the need to disrupt it?"

"I- erm,"

"You're usually a very good student, Kurt doesn't speak so I doubt it's him."

"Well, yes sir, I-" said Wes, hanging his head slightly.

"So, what filled you with the desire to interrupt me?"

"Your outfit," lied Wes as Kurt tried to hide a smile at the teenager's bad excuse.

"My outfit?" Disbelief and sarcasm radiated off the teacher and Kurt saw most of the other students tense, Jeff and Nick shooting Wes identical meaningful looks: stop now before he gets really annoyed.

"Yes, I was just saying how I thought I'd seen it in a magazine or something," Wes glanced sideways st Kurt, encouraging him to agree, "it looks really nice today, the green pullover really brings out your eyes."

"Excuse me?" Spluttered the Professor, daring Wes to continue.

"Seriously, where did you get it?"

Before Kurt could stop himself, he burst out in silent giggles, that sweater was one nobody should ever be seen dead in. Wes stared at him, half in shock at the boy who was acting quite unlike he was last night and half willing him to stop, he knew if he was allowed to continue, Kurt would be in even more trouble than he was already for being late.

"Kurt Hummel!" The teacher said loudly to the laughing teen, "enough. Please collect your things and switch places with Matthew."

In his new seat, the remainder of the lesson passed without further disturbance and soon the bell was ringing again, announcing the short break time between classes.

Kurt stayed behind as he had been told to do so earlier, nervously awaiting his punishment he was sure to receive for his lack of punctuality.

"Well Kurt," the teacher said once the room was empty of other students, "I've been meaning to talk to you."

Kurt took an untrusting breathe, watching the man and leaning away from him even though he was at least a metre away.

"Ok, this isn't easy to say, but to pass French you need to prove that you can speak the language."

Kurt exhaled, he was not expecting him to say that, if fact, he was expecting him to say almost anything but.

"Now, I don't want to push you to communicate if you're uncomfortable with that, because that wouldn't be right and it's against our policy and your rights."

Kurt's rights? He had lost them ages ago, Karofsky had told-

"Kurt?"

The boy pulled out of his stream of thought, looking back at the middle-aged man.

"It's just, if I don't have evidence you can easily speak it, I'm going to be forced to fail you and, judging by your grades from your old school, I don't want to do that."

Kurt bit his lip, thoughtfully. He knew he could find some proof he could speak French, however, it was in song and Kurt wasn't sure he could trust the teacher with the knowledge of his voice. Not after all of the hate he had gotten for it from the bullies. On the other hand, his dad and Carole had spent their honeymoon money on this school and Kurt couldn't afford to let them down by getting bad grades, especially in subjects he usually excelled at.

Hoping he wouldn't regret his decision, Kurt gestured to the teacher's computer, asking for permission to use it: he was immediately granted the use. Apprehensively, Kurt pulled up a search browser and loaded up YouTube. He glanced back at his teacher, checking again if he minded but the French man merely looked confused as Kurt typed in Cheerleading Nationals WMHS. The Professor didn't question it though as Kurt scrolled through the results before clicking on a fifteen minute long clip.

"Wow.." He said awestruck as he realized what he was listening to. It was a boy he recognized as Kurt singing in fluent French a fourteen minute Celine Dion medley. Kurt ducked his head, afraid of the man's reaction.

"That's...that's some voice you've got...wow. Have you considered joining The Warblers? You really do have a magnificent voice."

Kurt shook his head at this, fear taking over his expression and the teacher seemed to get the idea.

"Ok, but you know, you'd almost definitely get in. Anyway, if you don't want to, it's your choice. This will definitely be enough evidence though to support your grade."

He smiled as Kurt nodded and turned to leave, trying to sneak out the door before the teacher remembered he was late to class.

"And Kurt? If you ever want to talk about something, I'm always here, nobody will judge you." Kurt stopped, smiling a thankyou to the man.

"Oh, and try not to be late next time."

* * *

Kurt managed to reach his next lesson in time easily as it was Math and the building was fairly close. The teacher greeted him with a friendly smile as he walked in; she was reasonably young with two auburn braids framing her quite pretty face. Kurt took an immediate liking to her as he recognized her dress as one which had recently appeared in Vogue.

"You must be Kurt, I'm Miss Heatherson. Pleasure to have you in my class," she held out her hand which Kurt filled with his- he trusted females a lot more than men as they'd never hurt him, and this woman was really very welcoming.

"I'll just go get you a work book, take a seat."

Kurt quickly sank into a secluded one near a window at the front of the class, having spotted Blaine sitting at the back. He ducked his head, hoping he hadn't been spotted but feeling Blaine's eyes on him. Refusing to turn around and acknowledge the friendly boy, Kurt stared out the window, daydreaming until his teacher gave him a purple book and called the class to a silence, encapturing the students' minds and introducing the topic.

Taking vast amounts of notes to distract himself from thinking about his roommate, Kurt couldn't help comparing the class to McKinley's. Here, his classmates actually played attention and, whilst Miss Heatherson was talking, whispering between friends was at a minimum. There was no spitballs flying around at threatening to land in his hair or any obscene comments aimed at him. But most of all, Karofsky wasn't there, keeping him on edge and wary of concentrating too much on his studies in case the jocks found out and beat him up for doing so. Yes, life certainly did seem different at Dalton, but was it for better or worse?


	7. Hiding

**Disclaimer: Yup, pretty much own nothing except my OCs and my cool socks.**

* * *

Kurt managed to escape the room quickly as the bell rang out, vanishing into thin airas the bell rang out, vanishing into thin air as he moved through the door, deserting Blaine as he attempted to catch him. Blaine sighed as he looked around, slightly disappointed with himself for not managing to talk to him; they hadn't communicated since he had walked in on Kurt changing. He searched around the building, trying to spy the well groomed chestnut hair and equally stunning face of his roommate, silently whispering curses at himself for not saying anything to him when seeing his bruises except to excuse himself from the room.

Those bruises. How could he have got them? They had decorated his back like an artist's painting the way the colours merged together, Kurt's back being the canvas. Was this why Kurt had moved to Dalton? Blaine had recognised the pain and slight denial in Kurt's eyes when he had made him untimely entrance, it was an expression he had worn hundreds of times before, at least, before he had learned to love Dalton. But there must be something else to it, his silence had shouted decimals louder than the taller boy ever could reach and Blaine couldn't help wondering if what Kurt had faced was greater than he first thought; greater than what Blaine had endured.

As he turned the corner, about to give up, Blaine was crashed into by a small, lightly tanned boy who's eyes had been glued to the floor.

"Oh sweet llama God. Blaine, are you okay? I didn't see you," he said apologetically, brushing his long, dirty blond hair away from his face.

"Yeah, I'm fine. You okay, Roddy?"

Roderick smiled at his older friend, he was in the year below Blaine but knew him well as they both belonged to Windsor. Despite being remarkably clever, Roderick never worked hard at school, preferring to concentrate on topics he enjoyed, yet he still achieved some of the highest grades in his year. It wasn't that Roddy was lazy, it was just he didn't see the the point of learning about subjects he didn't care about- how was history supposed to support his raving passion for animals?

"I'm good, it's Ludo I'm worried about. The twins arrived back early and he escaped."

"Ludo?"

"Yeah, my weasel."

"You have a weasel now?"

"Of course, not sure how long he'll hang around with the gremlins back, though."

Blaine sighed in slightly shocked admiration. Roddy always seemed to have an animal with him, from a normal hamster to, at one point, a fox cub. That had not gone down too well when The Dean had found out.

"Just promise me you won't collect any dangerous creatures this term, the kitchen's barely recovered yet."

"Hey, that was not my fault. Thad shouldn't have trapped her in there, I've told him lots of times wild animals don't like to be trapped."

"Yes, but-"

"I've gotta go," he interrupted suddenly, spotting a tail amid some nearby bushes and walking over to it, calling out softly in his low voice he saved for animals. Blaine watched in awe as the weasel crawled out to Roddy, completely unafraid of him, and he couldn't help but feel vaguely jealous. He knew no animal would ever do that for him; Roddy simply had something in him they trusted- something he had never seen in anyone else.

Blaine smiled at the pair, his stomach growling slightly as he headed to the dining hall, hoping Kurt would have found his way over there. It was lunch time after all.

Five minutes later, Blaine entered the hall and a wave of worry swept over him when he couldn't spot Kurt. Was he okay? If he wasn't here, did that mean he hadn't ate breakfast and lunch? He must be starving by now if so. Or maybe he was just late coming..? But he had left before Blaine-

"Hey Blaine!" Nick said just then, pulling Blaine back to reality. "Have you heard the news?"

"News?"

"Yeah, the gremlins are back," he said, pulling Blaine down next to him on their usual table.

"Oh, yeah. Yeah, Roddy told me."

"Has he still got that lizard? Er- Lizzy I think he called it."

"No, he's somehow acquired a weasel now."

"Aw, shame. I liked Lizzy. One of the only pets he's had that's perfectly harmless."

"If you forget David."

"I don't think I could ever forget that scream," he shuddered, "it was three in the morning as well. How did she even get in the room?"

There was a pause as they both met eyes, knowingly.

"The twins," they agreed together.

"Nicky!"

The two boys looked up at the door the happy shout had come from and saw Jeff almost skipping towards them, David and Wes trailing behind him.

"Hey Jeff!"

* * *

Kurt shut the door to the auditorium quickly behind him, leaning against it, his breath jumpy. He had ran to the room as soon as the bell had rung out, darting away from the dark haired teenager who he knew would be looking for a chance to corner him since he had disobeyed him and left the dorm when Blaine was in the shower. He was starving as he checked his cheap phone for the time, wishing he had brought some food along with him. 12:46. He was about to return it to his pocket when he realized he had a new message from his Dad; he reluctantly opened it, slightly afraid of what it might say before reminding himself only his father and Carole knew this number. There was no way any of the jocks could have got it.

'Hey Kiddo, how's your first day? Anyone giving you trouble, tell me and I'll be over there in a flash.'

Kurt read the message over again, thinking of a reply; he briefly thought of his roommate. Blaine had scared him, sure, but he wasn't giving him trouble, at least, nothing like at McKinley. Besides, he hadn't hurt him, just made Kurt vaguely, okay very, scared of him, or more, what he could tell everyone. But Kurt couldn't tell him that, especially with his Dad's heart in consideration.

'I'm fine Dad, don't worry about me.'

Kurt sent his reply, smiling sadly. Burt shouldn't have to constantly worry about him, he didn't have to about Finn.

''Of course I do, you're my son. Are you sure you're fine though, you took a long time to reply'

'Dad, I'm fine, stop worrying. I don't want you having another heart attack.'

'Screw my heart, and I'm sending Finn over later to check you're not lying.'

'You don't need to do that!'

'Of course I do, and no arguments. Finn wants to see you as well'

Kurt collapsed into one of the chairs which faced the stage, groaning annoyed at his dad. He knew what he was saying was for the best but it didn't mean Kurt had to agree with it.

'Fine,' texted back Kurt eventually, giving in, 'I've gotta go now though. Classes.'

'Ok, see you soon buddy'

Kurt winced slightly at the lie, he still had forty minutes left of his lunch break but he didn't want to continue talking to Burt in case he said something that would upset him. He had to think of his Dad's health. Although Kurt disliked talking since the incident, he didn't mind texting. He found it easier to write his emotions than say them and, though he would only communicate like this with Finn, Carole and his Dad: it helped him to not close himself off completely. He didn't like having to lie about his problems but he had been doing it for so long now, it came to him naturally.

He scowled at the time, willing it to speed up; as soon as his classes for the day finished, Kurt would be allowed to reach his cereal bars he hid in his drawers and rest his eyes. He had only slept last night for around four hours last night due to having a nightmare. Karofsky had been chasing him down the corridors of McKinley and eventually he became trapped by a dead end which he was sure was not usually there. The bully had been closing in on him and Kurt could had been almost able to smell his eyewateringly vulgar odour. He had woken up then, panting heavily and dripping in a cold sweat. Kurt had layed, shaking in his bed, not wanting to turn the light on in case it awoke Blaine from his slumber so he had resounded in lying awake until he could get out of bed at a respectable hour.

But now those missing hours were catching up on him and Kurt was beginning to wonder if it was safe enough to take a nap in the auditorium. There was nobody around and he didn't think many people knew about this room so he didn't really care about people finding him, but what he really wanted to know was if he could wake up in time for chemistry. Kurt couldn't risk missing it, especially since his dad and Carole had spent their honeymoon money to let him go to this school.

He yawned and guessed this probably made up his mind. Kurt stretched out over the seats, lying his body over three of them , wiggling until he was comfortable, his eyes already closed. Moments before his head hit the cushioned arm rest, sleep overtook him and he drifted off into sleep's midst, too tired for his mind to take him to dreamland.

* * *

Kurt awoke two hours later, having slept halfway through his third lesson, with a start and wondered what had disturbed him. He checked his phone and kicked himself: he had missed most of his lesson which would almost definitely take its toll on his grade if he didn't bother to collect notes on the lesson, but to do that, he would either have to ask another student or his teacher which would indefinitely result in detentions. He froze as he heard a voices and a banging noise on the door, quickly hiding between the rows of seats in hope he wouldn't get caught in the room. That would be difficult to explain, especially when Kurt didn't use his voice box.

"It's never been shut like this before."

"Well except when we first opened it."

"Hang on, I think I have some wire in my pocket."

"I don't think it's actually locked Theo, more stuck."

"How? No one ever comes down here."

"All the more reason to open it."

"So we ram the door?"

"Yep, we ram the door."

"On three?"

"Three!" The two voices chorused and was soon followed by a heavy thud which made the door open; two bodies falling heavily on the ground. Kurt gasped slightly as they flew in, the two boys startling him. Both were completely identical, from their messy, soot black hair spiking up wildly to each boy's surprisingly clear green eyes which were alit with mischief.

"Ow" they groaned together, pulling themselves to their feet and gently brushed eachother off.

"Well at least we didn't need the wire."

"Or the exploding pellets."

"We'll have to use them again sometime, they worked well."

"At destroying Lincoln's common room."

"But they had it coming."

"Can't disagree with that."

"Except Harrison did," grinned one twin.

"I swear our nerfs have never had that much fun in one day ever."

"Which is probably why most of the prefects hate us now."

"Meh."

Kurt tried to understand what they were saying, but was almost lost by the speed of their talking. He knew Lincoln was a dormitory, one of the four: Windsor, Thatcher, Lincoln and Kennedy. He wondered what dorm building the two boys were in.

"Wait, what's that?"

"Huh?"

"There's a piece of thread over there. Which wasn't there before."

"Where?" The twin looked to where his brother was pointing, both boys had impeccable memories and the teenager frowned. That piece of cotton definitely hadn't been there when they had left the room and it wasn't supposed to be in use currently.

He pounced forward towards it, inches away from where Kurt was hiding and Kurt held his breathe.

"It's warm," he said, a marginally maniacal smile appearing on his face as he felt the seat Kurt had previously been residing in.

"Really?"

"Yep."

"So someone's in here." It wasn't a question, more of a statement filled with crazy impishness.

"Hey, Theo.."

"Mm?"

"Look."

Kurt peered up at the pair, frightened of the two who were leaning over him from the tops of the seats he was hiding behind. He shook in fear, being reminded greatly of McKinley and felt himself being pulled into a flashback.

* * *

_Kurt had arrived early to school, grinning as he outsmarted the jocks by pulling up outside McKinley fifteen minutes before most people got there. He walked across the car park, glancing around for signs of people watching him. He couldn't do this very often or the bullies, dumb as they may be, would figure out what he was doing and attend school even more ahead of Kurt so they could get him. Kurt slipped into the building, heading towards the choir room; Mr. Schue wouldn't mind if he hid in there until lessons started and, if he did, he could always pretend to be practicing a song for later. He hadn't wanted to open his locker without anyone else around since Karofsky had dragged him in to the closet and- he gulped, telling himself off for thinking about it. He guessed what Karofsky had said was true. He did ask for it, after all, why else would everyone target him unless there was something wrong with him? _

_He sighed as he opened the locker door, suddenly wishing there were more people around. Sometimes the best hiding place is in full eyesight- at least Karofsky couldn't kiss him, or worse, in public. He was too far in the closet for that, in fact, any deeper and he'd find Narnia, or at least some decent clothes which weren't jeans and a Letterman jacket. You'd think that for all the time he spent in the closet, he'd at least have a good dress sense. He laughed aloud at his own joke. _

_"Something funny, Hummel?" A fist slammed into the locker next to him and he physically jumped, swearing loudly. Why the hell didn't he arrive later with Mercedes or Finn? Oh right, because he was an idiot. _

_"No, no Karofsky." _

_"Then why are you laughing? I can think of something better your mouth could be doing." Kurt shuddered what the comment implied. _

_"Karofsky, stop. Stop, please." _

_"What? Does lady face suddenly not want me? You didn't exactly stop me before." _

_"Karofsky-" _

_"You realize I'm the best you'll ever get? Who else would want you?" _

_"Shut up!" _

_"Oh, you don't mean that," the bully towered over him, making Kurt shrink as the bigger boy's body drastically invaded his personal space. "Why else do you still bother singing and prancing about? You're begging for attention." _

_"No." _

_Karofsky ignored Kurt, pushing him lips towards Kurt's but was stopped when the shorter teenager, without thinking, brought his hand up, sharply slapping Karofsky's face, hard. He froze and pulled back as Kurt took his chance and teared himself away from him. _

_"Why you little," he reached out, grabbing Kurt's arm and flinging him onto the floor, kicking him in the stomach. Kurt curled up into a ball, gasping for air. _

_"Yo, Karofsky! We were looking for you." _

_Kurt opened his eyes which he didn't remember shutting and caught a glimpse of the owner. It belonged to Azimio Adams, Karofsky's best friend and Kurt's second biggest bully. He almost laughed at the irony, his bully just saved him. _

_"Azimio! I was just sorting out the trash." _

_"I can see, you might want to be more careful where you do it though. You don't wanna get kicked off the team." Azimio looked uncaringly at Kurt who pleaded for some kind of pity and for him not to let Karofsky continue when he was already wounded. "Come on man, the others want to talk tactics about the next match." _

_"Right, just coming," said Karofsky, catching up with his friend. _

_As they walked away, Kurt caught bits of their conversation as he struggled to stand. _

_"What did he do this time?" _

_"Apart from decorating this place with his fairy?"_


	8. Cheese on Toast

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Literally nothing. Except my OCs. Nothing else.**

* * *

"Wow, I knew we were scary but I'd call that a bit of an overreaction, who is he?"

The twins were kneeling beside Kurt's unconscious form, listening to his pained whimpers and wincing slightly.

"Dunno Fors, I've never seen him around here before."

"So he must be new," speculated his brother thoughtfully, "but why's he in here? Barely anyone knows about this place."

"Maybe he's homeless?"

"You're saying he's a hobo? Have you not seen his bag?"

"Wait, is that a Marc Jacobs'?"

"I think so."

"Damn, so I'm guessing he's not lost then? Shame, I've always wanted a friend like that."

"Copycat!"

"Nu-uh! I said it first."

"I thought it first!"

"You can't prove that!"

The boy on the floor groaned suddenly, rolling onto his side, silencing the argument. Slyggishly, Kurt peeled open his eyelids, wondering why his bed was so hard. He looked up and saw the twins at his side and immediately rubbed his Reyes, believing he was seeing things- or at least double. When he realized the figures weren't disappearing, Kurt leapt to his feet, and would've fallen over the chair behind him if the pair hadn't grabbed his arms to steady him.

"Woah, are you okay?"

Kurt whipped his hand away from the twins, clasping it to his chest as if it had been burnt. They both studied Kurt for a second before sharing a look of concern which, upon meeting eachothers eyes, turned into amusement.

"Hello Bambi-"

"We don't think we've met-"

"I'm Theo,"

"And I'm Fors-"

"Although most people just call us the gremlins."

"Not that we're evil-"

"Yeah, we just have erm.."

"Quirks?" Fors supplied helpfully.

"Yeah, what he said."

Kurt flicked his bewildered stare between the boys, feeling cornered. Did they not talk property?

"Ah," said Theo, reading Kurt's facial expression and turning to his brother, "well, he's definitely new. Most people would have run by now if they knew us."

"And I thought we were pretty much famous throughout Ohio, especially with all the stuff we've done."

"Hmm," he faced Kurt again, his duplicate copying him, "so why are you here?"

"You look to innocent to be skipping class-"

"And you haven't got much with so I doubt you're pranking-"

"So,"

"Why?"

Kurt squirmed under their scrutinizing gaze, avoiding meeting the piercing jade eyes.

"Hey, are you okay?" Theo (or possibly Fors) said, suddenly feeling the nervousness which radiated from the porcelain teen.

Kurt nodded, wishfully thinking that if he pretended to be fine, they might leave. Of course, he had tried this technique before, on his friends at McKinley in fact, but it hadn't worked, instead ending in an argument which ended their friendship.

"No, you're not," disagreed Fors, "come on Bambi, we're taking you to a doctor."

Kurt froze, his reaction to this the same as when Blaine had tried to get him to visit one. He couldn't go, he just couldn't.

"Okay.. but you need to get help."

Kurt violently shook his head in reply, his stomach suddenly growling as a hunger pain stabbed him.

"Well what about some food?"

"Yeah, the cafeteria's closed now though-"

"So we'd have to take a trip to the house kitchens-"

"Wait, what house are you?"

"Because we kind of have a mutual hatred with Lincoln-"

"Not that we'd hate you of course-"

"It's just something that's been going on forever."

"So what house are you?"

"Thatcher?"

Kurt shook his head, biting his lip gently. For all he knew, they'd be in Thatcher and would hate him for being in a different one.

"No? Really? But they're the least crazy-"

"Although they're also most sporty, and he doesn't look very," said Theo, turning to Fors.

"Okay, so.. Kennedy? They're usually the most academic," he continued as Kurt shook his head again.

"However, if you make them mad, run. They're not afraid to pull off big pranks, and because they're suck ups, they usually get away with it."

"But they don't really do it often as it would cut into their study time-"

"And God forbid they miss any of their precious revision."

"Wait, so you ARE a Lincoln?"

Kurt drew back at the charcoal headed boy's sudden hostility and hurriedly answered in the negative, slightly afraid of how they would react.

"But that would mean you're in Windsor," puzzled Fors as Kurt nodded.

"We're in Windsor as well!"

"But we only got back here today-"

"And that's probably why we didn't recognize you."

"How long have you been here?"

Kurt shook his head at them, barely noticeable against his quivering body.

"Kurt?" Theo asked, confused.

"Oh," exclaimed Fors as it finally clicked, "don't you talk? That's okay, Bambi, people often say we talk so much others can't get a word in edgeways-"

"They should probably try putting it in diagonally or something then-"

"Yeah, or shout over us."

"But anyway, the point is, it doesn't matter."

"And because you're in Windsor-"

"That means you're automatically our friend-"

"You get us around constantly to talk for you!"

"Like we help Thad's sister by talking to her in sign language, Thad taught us when we told him we wanted to communicate with her-"

"After he made us promise not to say anything rude-"

"She's only nine."

"Now, shall we go get some food?"

"Come on, Bambi, I even learnt how to cook boiled eggs last week."

"Although that's not really considered cooking," cut in Theo, grinning.

"Still better than you can do."

"Liar, I made porridge yesterday."

"And burnt the water."

"Shut up."

Kurt watched the pair, amused. The brothers were so close, it reminded Kurt of himself and Finn: although they weren't at the point they could finish eachothers sentences, they had certainly grown closer recently. Kurt wasn't even flinching as they called him Bambi, they both seemed so upbeat- they didn't seem able to be bullies, even if they tried. Wondering if he would regret it, Kurt allowed himself to be pulled to his feet and followed the two out the door, keeping a strong grip on his bag. He didn't trust the them enough to let his guard down just yet.

* * *

Blaine sat in his Chemistry, blanking out the teacher's voice until it turned into a low humming, and stared thoughtfully through the recently washed window. Where was Kurt? It was half way through the lesson and the other boy should definitely be in class with him by now; nobody could get lost and be this late. And what if he'd been hurt? Blaine was his roommate, and was therefore meant to look out for him- if Kurt got hurt, Blaine knew he wouldn't be able to forgive himself. There was something about the other boy which attracted to Blaine, maybe it was how much he saw himself in him, maybe it was the fear which Blaine wanted to rid from Kurt. Whatever it was, he knew he had to look out for his porcelain friend.

"Blaine? Blainey!"

Blaine surfaced from his daze to see Jeff standing by his desk, tapping his fingers lightly on the table.

"Yeah?"

"Were you not listening to Sir? We're doing an experiment!"

"Oh, I mean- of course."

"Blainey? You know you can talk to me about anything right? Same with Wes, David and Nick."

"Sure, but I'm fine."

"But you had that expression on your face, you haven't worn that one since-"

"Jeff?" Cut off Blaine, standing up, "just drop it? Please?"

"Okay...just remember we're here."

"Of course, how could I forget?" Smiling, Blaine walked over to the trays at the front, gathering some bottles the teacher had placed at the front for them to use, "now let's make a start on the practical."

A few minutes later, Blaine was inconspicuously watching other pairs for a clue to what they were supposed to be doing with no success. He didn't particularly want to ask them, not when Mr. Clifford was watching them, probably planning his next (awful) joke about someone not paying attention. Blaine didn't want to be that person.

"Blaine?" Jeff asked, amused.

"Hmm?"

"I'm guessing you don't know what we're doing."

"How did you know?"

"All I'm going to say, is I hope you're not planning to become a spy at any point in your life."

"Haha. Funny."

"I know, now help me measure out this acid; at least one of us was paying attention."

"Since when did you pay attention?"

"Since when did you not?"

"Ah, touché."

"I try."

"Can we please get back to the acid?"

"Whatever Blainers," replied Jeff cursing as he spilt some of the diluted substance onto his hand. "Seriously?"

"And I thought I was the one who shouldn't be trusted with liquids."

"Blaine, you managed to singlehandedly flood your own room," said Jeff, washing his hand under the tap to rid it from the chemical, "I highly doubt that spilling a few drops of acid deems me more ham handed than you. I still don't understand how you managed to do that anyway."

"The shower pipe burst."

"And it was too difficult for you to shut off your water? Jeez Blaine, even I'm smarter than that, and you know how dumb I can be."

"Shut up, and I thought you had forgotten about that incident, it was ages ago."

"I don't think three weeks is really considered as ages Blainey."

"I hate you."

"Nope, you love me, everyone does."

"Wow, egotistical much?"

Jeff's reply was buried underneath the sound of a bell ringing loudly throughout the school, shocking half the students as it did so. They still had forty minutes left of lesson.

"What the-?"

"Alright guys," Mr. Clifford called from the front, "that's the fire bell and for once, I can't be blamed as I don't have my Bunsen out." He did a tiny victory dance at this, having frequently been held responsible for many of the bells- although it wasn't really his fault, he had the smoke detector right over where he usually conducted his experiments. Nobody had bothered moving it, instead trying to make him move his desk from below it. However, Mr. Clifford was not one to be easily persuaded, really, he was almost as bad as the gremlins. "So I guess you should head out the fire escape- or don't, it's your life. No, I'm kidding, get out before I have to write an apology about your death to your parents- I hate writing."

Blaine and Jeff grinned at eachother, used to the teacher's poor jokes which, although usually bad, always evoked a smile. Quickly, they grabbed their bags and headed out the door, neither wanting to leave their belongings in the empty classroom.

"Hurry, hurry. Out, before you turn into a crisp."

"I don't think we have any salt with us though," said Jeff, looking thoughtfully up at his teacher.

"What?"

"Well, I've always thought if I was a crisp, I'd be ready salted."

"Nah, that's too plain, you'd probably be something like fish and chip flavour." He paused, thinking, "I'm allergic to seafood."

"Oh, well I guess you'd be screwed with my diet then," replied Jeff, the jibe obviously not being understood, "it's the seafood one."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, I see food and I eat it."

"Oh."

"Well, I think we'd better be heading over to the field for the fire safety point, coming Jeff?" Blaine interrupted, "I think see Nick and David."

"Ooh, bye sir! Nicky! David!" Blaine chuckled as his friend bounced over to the pair and jogged in light pursuit, also hugging each boy friendily before falling into pace with David's stride.

* * *

The twins ran out of the smoke filled room, coughing violently for air as they dragged Kurt behind them. From the look on his face, he hadn't seemed like it had even crossed his mind to get out of there. Luckily, the identical gremlins had been in this situation many times before and had spotted Kurt's shock.

"Well...I guess it's fair to say we're going to fail home economics."

"But that was never really a surprise."

"Are you okay, Bambi?"

Kurt nodded in reply, shrugging off the name they had chosen to call him, filling his lungs with fresh air. The twins had carried on with their plan to feed Kurt and had, after a short argument, decided to make cheese on toast. What they actually made though, was something that looked remarkably like a burnt chip of wood. Kurt still appreciated the gesture; not many people had actually bothered to help him before- it was nice to have someone trying.

"Fors! Theo!" A voice shouted over their heavy breathing and Kurt froze as he looked up to see a tall, lanky figure striding towards him, "it hasn't even been a day since you got back and you're already causing trouble! I hope you realize how many of your so-called pranks are on your personal records?"

"Yeesh, Troy. Chillax, it's not like we damaged anything."

"My name is NOT Troy! And you have both disturbed the whole of Dalton's classes by your silly prank!"

"It wasn't a-"

"No, I don't want to hear it! Because do you know who gets blamed for thus? Hmm? For not keeping you two under control? Me!" 'Troy' turned, spotting Kurt for the first time and turning on him too. "And you! You're new here aren't you? Why are you getting onto trouble already? Do you think it's funny?"

"Kane, shut up," said Fors, warningly, seeing tears prickle in Kurt's eyes and feeling a rush of protection to the poor boy. Theo unconsciously stepped closer to the blue eyed teen, as if to shield him from Kane's shouts. It wasn't Kurt's fault loud noises brought back unwelcome memories of what had happened, especially if someone who was shouting aimed it at him.

"No, you shut up. For God's sake, it's your first day back! And you," he pointed at Kurt, "do you think your parents would be proud of you for getting into trouble? Your Mom? Your Dad?"

Tears were now cascading down Kurt's cheeks from the mention of his mother but Kane merely ignored him, opting to continue his yelling.

"Come on, I'm taking you to The Dean, I'm sure he can think up a suitable punishment. I'm ashamed of all three of you." Kane started to walk off, the twins hanging their heads slightly as they followed, upset in themselves for getting Kurt into trouble- they really hadn't meant to. Kurt however, was still frozen to the spot.

"What? To scared to face the consequences? Wow."

"Kane!"

"Quiet you! Ugh, come on," he sighed as he roughly grabbed Kurt's wrist. At this, Kurt cried harder, nearly sinking to the floor in reaction to the unwanted contact, praying for someone to save him. Fors and Theo were just about to jump on Kane, and pull him away when someone beat them to it, throwing a well aimed punch to his gut.

"Get the FUCK away from my Princess!"


	9. Intruders

**Again, I own nothing but the OCs**.

* * *

Blaine, Nick, Jeff and David froze at the sound of the shout, turning back in the direction it had come from and, after recovering from the initial shock, turned and sprinted towards the dorms. This was Dalton; nobody swore on campus, it was just one of the unwritten laws of their dapperness.

David was the first to reach the scene, his training with Wes for the track running team giving him an advantage over the other boys. However, the other boys quickly caught up as David's eyes widened at the sight that lay before them. Kane lay on the floor, crumpled and clutching at his stomache, wheezing for air as Theo and Fors stared in awed admiration at a mohawked teen who was towering over the injured boy.

"_HOW DARE YOU_! Stay the_ hell_ away from my boy!"

"Puck!"

"Finn, don't even begin to tell me to calm down; yes, I know you're thinking to. Did you see what this bastard did?"

Another overgrown teenager joined the clan, rushing towards Puck and spotting Kurt at the same time the uniform clad scholars did. Kurt was holding his arm as if it had been burned, tears continuing to make their way down his cheeks in torrents.

"Kurt?"

"Princess, are you okay?"

Puck and Finn gingerly stepped over to their quivering friend, pulling him into a warm hug, Kurt melting into it. A year ago, these people would be hated by Kurt, now, although he had tried to cut them off by not communicating with them, they still were his saviors and the only people who could penetrate his mental walls. It was almost funny how he trusted them more than he did with his own father.

Puck pulled out first, allowing Finn to hold his brother and comfort him alone as Puck turned to Kane, who was slowly climbing back to his feet.

"You want to tell me what the hell you were doing grabbing Kurt before or after I knock you down again?" Puck spat, lowering his voice from previous shouting but letting it still drip in venomous threats.

"I was taking him to The Dean, somewhere I guess you'll be going as well soon," said Kane, boldly, "I'm Kane, prefect of Kurt's dorm house."

"I don't care who the fuck you are, why should that give you permission to hurt Kurt?"

"I wasn't hurting him-"

"To hell you weren't!" Finn shouted as Kurt buried himself deeper into his arms, making Blaine slightly jealous. Was this Kurt's boyfriend? "Shh."

"Kurt was-"

"Kane, Kurt wasn't doing anything," interrupted Theo (or Fors). "We tried to explain that; we were making him lunch."

"It's nearly three o'clock."

"That's irrelevant."

"Besides, he was hungry," joined in the other dark haired twin.

"And,-"

"Unlike you of course-"

"We were trying to help."

"You set off the fire alarms..." said Nick, ignoring the glare from Finn.

"Shut it you," said Puck, now turning to face the identical brothers. "You were trying to help Kurt." He stated simply.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because he looked like he needed some..."

"Oh," he gave them an approving look, "good, nice to know some people are nice here." No need to guess who that comment was aimed at, "names?"

The two boys split into large, cheshire cat grins, unapologetically pulling off a Team Rocket style introduction.

"Prepare for trouble!"

"Make it double!"

"To protect the world from boringness!"

"To unite all peoples with our warblerness!"

"To denounce the evils of Wes and his gavel!" (Hey!)

"To do this all with The Dean's appraisal"

"Theo!"

"Fors!"

"Team Gremlins, blast off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"

"...OH MY GOD, WE GOT IT RIGHT!"

Puck, for once, seemed to be speechless and it was Finn who spoke first.

"...Dudes...how often do you practice that?"

"Never mind that, what's this guy," he nodded at Kane, "got against Kurt?"

"This guy," snapped the disheveled boy Puck had knocked to the floor, "has a name."

"I thought I told you to shut up?"

"And why should I listen to you?"

"Because my fist is currently itching to hit you again."

"Hey!" Blaine shouted suddenly, stopping the fighting before it recommenced, "everybody just calm down!"

In his head, Blaine was mentally screaming curse words- where the hell were the teachers when you needed them?

"And why should we listen to you? I didn't see you rushing to pull this dickhead off Kurt. Freakin Hobbit."

"Haha, funny. Hilarious in fact. Maybe it would even be offending if I hadn't been called it hundreds of times before."

Nick and Jeff winced at this and prepared to hold Blaine back: they had seen him get angry before and it wasn't a pretty sight. In fact, after the first time, the gremlins referred to him as Hulk's more ferocious twin for weeks.

"Wow, this bitch has bite." Blaine nearly snarled at this comment. "And why should you care about a little violence?"

"Maybe because 'a little violence' landed me in hospital for nearly two months of my life?" A silence followed this and Finn slowly stood up, barely noticing he and Kurt had ended up sinking to the ground.

"But what's Kurt got to do with you?"

"He's my roommate." Blaine surveyed Kurt as his friend wrapped his arms around his thin torso: he didn't seem to have any new physical injuries but he wore the same expression he had after the panic attack last night. At the back of his mind, Blaine wondered if these two boys the cause of Kurt's bruises but dismissed it as fast as the thought had come; Kurt wouldn't have been latching onto them if they had hurt him.

"So?"

"So it means I'm going to look out for him, because I want us to be friends if we're going to see eachother everyday."

"I'm pretty sure-"

"BOYS!"

Each of the warblers spun around, fixing their expressions to looks of innocence as they realized who was behind them; Finn and Puck didn't bother to, instead turning back to help Kurt to his feet, now refusing to step away and acting almost like body guards.

"Why are you five not lining up at the assembly point? And who are you two?" The Dean asked, confused as he spotted the McKinley wall of muscle standing behind them.

Theo and Fors had by now disappeared, vanishing into thin air as they did best (though most of the boys had tried to find out, nobody really knew how they did this- David guessed it was because of the secret passageways his dad had mentioned to him before but where they were located was a mystery to them both).

"Name's Puck, and that's Finn."

"Ah, maybe I should have been clearer, May I enquire into why you are currently on Dalton campus?" he asked, putting emphasis on the why.

"Dude, what? Can you speak without the long words?" Finn said, crumpling his face slightly out out confusion.

"Of course, but if you'd just wait there for a moment-" he turned to the five boys in Dalton uniform, "I believe you should each be up by the top field, which is the other way from here, I would've thought that you five, especially as you're warblers, would be over there by now. Hurry up else you'll be late, and also, while you're still here, why's the kitchen filled with smoke?"

Suddenly the group were each making hurried excuses that they had to be somewhere and The Dean chuckled.

"Goodbye you lot, and please inform Theo and Fors that just because they hide, I still know they were here. This place reeks of their work."

"Of course, well goodbye then," they said cheerfully, thankful that The Dean was so understanding and departing. Kane was the last to leave, shooting the mohawked and overgrown teens evils as he went.

"So why are you boys here then?"

Finn and Puck exchanged looks before Finn answered, "we came looking for my brother."

"And who would that be?"

Kurt peered past Finn timidly, stepping out from behind him and feeling Puck's gaze aimed towards him proudly.

"Kurt."

The Dean registered the shaken boy between the pair at the same time Finn said his name. Kurt still had tear stains on his face but was looking determinedly up at him, although wary as his eyes kept darting to his sides to check his friends were still there.

"Oh," he said softly in reply, "and what are you going to do now?"

"Well...erm...I guess.."

"We're going to get him safe."

"Puck.. it is Puck right?" He carried on as the tanned male nodded, "I'm presuming that, in order to complete your intentions, you're most likely contemplating removing him from the school for a while."

"Again with the long words," groaned Finn, rubbing his head as he interrupted.

"Right, right. Sorry, I mean are you planning of taking him away?"

"Well, er.."

"Because if you were, may I suggest something? How about you two go up to Kurt's dormitory with him and talk to him there? I can make sure Blaine spends the night with some of his friends if you would like to stay the night with Kurt as well."

The Dean could see how close the boys seemed to be, Kurt let his walls down more around them and The Dean had no doubt it would be good for Kurt to be with them whilst at Dalton. It might even help him relax more around the other boys.

"Dude, seriously? But he's gay?"

Puck had to cross his arms to stop himself from punching Finn at that moment; sure, he was his best friend but he really could be a prize idiot at times.

"So? We don't discriminate at Dalton, besides, you're his brother," he reminded with a smile, "I think it would be called incest if you were together."

Finn blushed slightly as he remembered the time Kurt had had a crush on him and covered his awkwardness with a cough, "of- of course."

"Well I'll let you boys go then, and Kurt? If you have any problems, remember you can come and find me at any time? I'll tell Rooley to mark you as present for the fire registration. I think we've found the source of the alarm," he indicated to the smokey kitchen behind them. "See you later.

* * *

"Okay...What the heck just happened?" Nick wondered aloud eventually, breaking the tense silence as they crossed the courtyard. Jeff had linked his arm through his and had his other wrapped onto Blaine's hand; his head was resting lightly on his boyfriend's shoulder.

"Well Kane?" David asked when there was no reply, directing the question towards the annoyed Warbler.

"Nothing."

"I call bullshit."

The five turned to see the twins approaching them from behind, each having their arms folded over their chests and wearing serious expressions quite unlike their usual selves.

"Huh?"

"Oh whatever you two, it wasn't my fault," sighed Kane exasperatedly.

"It never is, is it?"

"What?" Blaine repeated, his head flicking between the two sides, almost Luke he was watching a tennis match.

"Our dear friend Mr. Prefect here decided it would be a good idea to pounce on Bambi," said Fors sarcastically, giving the spoken person a glare.

"He what?" Blaine knew how jumpy and nervous Kurt could be from the fact he had avoided him for nearly the whole school day just for seeing him topless. Something about that boy didn't seem right and Blaine wanted to fix it for him: attacking him though, he knew wouldn't help him.

"You heard," answered Theo.

"Yeah, but who's Bambi?" Jeff asked curiously, the twins love for nicknaming people was no surprise to him- he himself was often referred to as Peter Pan. Apparently this was because of the fact Jeff was basically a big child and refused to grow up, however, Jeff hadn't known the two for as long as Blaine who had even shared a room with them once. With Blaine constantly complaining to him about lack of sleep and stolen hair gel, that had been one tough year.

"Isn't it obvious?"

"Yeah, its Kurt of course."

Riiight. Of course. How on earth had he not been able to work that out?

"Wait, you attacked Kurt?" David accused loudly (and angrily).

"I didn't ATTACK him. I simply was getting to get him to see The Dean and he wasn't complying."

"Why?"

"He caused the fire alarm."

"No! No he did not!" Theo said, "you complete bimbo, that was us!"

"Jeez Kane, I'm pretty sure we even told you that at one point."

"And before you say he was helping us, no, he wasn't. He was fricking starving because he skipped lunch-"

"And most likely breakfast-"

"And even then he didn't want us to help him."

"Hell, he was bloody famished and yet we nearly had to drag him down here to get him something to eat- why would he do that?"

"I-" said Kane, attempting to cut in but the gremlins were on a roll and, like with their pranks, there was nothing you could do to stop them once they had started.

"And then you freaked him out even more! God, Percy, you're such an idiot!"

"I didn't know!"

"That's right, you didn't!" And with that, the twins grabbed Blaine and marched off to see their teacher with the register.

"I.." Kane (or Percy as the gremlins referred to him as, apparently he acted an awful like Percy in Harry Potter) sighed, turning to the other, boys beside him, "shit...I fucked up didn't I?"

"Language!" David interrupted, "but yes, you did."

"Aw crap."


	10. You are loved

**Disclaimer: Again, I own nothing but my OCs- oh and the song in this chapter is You are Loved (Don't give up) by Josh Groban**

* * *

Kurt, Puck and Finn sat in the lightly, but homily, decorated room; Kurt leant against Finn as they sat on the bed whilst Puck paced the room, having worked his anger back up from previously.

"What the fuck was his problem? God, I swear...ugh, princess, are you okay? He didn't hurt you, did he?"

A pause.

"Kurt? Dude?" Finn asked, holding Kurt out at arms length and forcing the smaller boy to meet his eyes as he didn't answer Puck's question. Slowly, Kurt shook his head in reply before he was pulled into a hug, tears beginning to fall again.

"Ssh, it'll be okay, nobody else will hurt you here."

"Yeah," agreed Puck, cracking his knuckles, "we'll make sure of that. Those dicks won't even brush against you unless they want to be in hospital for a week."

Kurt smiled briefly at his friend, reaching up to hug him.

"You know it was my fault you nearly got seriously hurt. Princess, I'm still so sorry."

Kurt hugged him tighter at the apology to tell him it didn't matter; Puck had been saying this so many times recently Kurt had lost count- and he had a very good memory. But Kurt didn't blame Puck for what he did; it wasn't his fault. Not really.

An hour later, Puck had vacated the room in order to ask The Dean for something although he didn't define what it was. Finn was walking around the dorm and probably trying to deduce what Kurt's roommate was like although he wasn't really getting anywhere; he definitely was no Sherlock.

"So this guy has lots and lots of books, so I'm guessing he's quite unpopular? He seems like a bit of a nerd but, from how he acted earlier, I'm also guessing he's a bit of a dick because of it?"

Kurt sighed to hide a smile, these things were pretty much the opposite of Blaine: although he did seem rather scary to Kurt, he didn't act like a bad guy. He certainly hadn't gone out of his way to make Kurt's life hell, at least not yet. Kurt still didn't know if Blaine was going to keep his bruises a secret from the rest of the school.

"No? But look at all the J.K Rowling books; he's obviously a potterhead, most likely even worse than you."

Kurt looked up, shooting him a more toned down version of his famous bitch glare which showed a mild offense to what his stepbrother had just said.

"Crap, I didn't mean it like that. You're awesome, I just don't understand your obsession with it. Not that it's a bad thing, but I think it's weird how you can like them more than video games. But that doesn't mean your weird, I-"

Kurt interrupted his rambling by chuckling slightly- not a full blown laugh mind, Kurt hadn't been able to do that in ages- after watching Finn get himself into more and more of a panic.

"Hey Kurt?" He asked a few minutes of silence later and Kurt looked up at him, "are you sure you're okay with me and Puck staying the night? I don't want you too feel obliged to let us stay or make it awkward between you and your roommate tomorrow because he's been kicked out of his own room."

The porcelain skinned boy lowered his head, not answering. Of course he wanted his friends to stay; they were the only people who knew about what had happened to him apart from the hospital staff, his teachers and his dad and Carole. Of course there was also his bully- Kurt couldn't bring himself to think his name- but he didn't really count as he didn't care about what he had done and claimed Kurt had enjoyed it as much as he had. That was a lie; Kurt had hated himself ever since the abuse had first started.

* * *

Puck walked though the open corridor, dodging through the students who were busy mingling and seemed to be talking about the twins (he had forgotten their names) accident with the fire alarms. Classes were over and the boy expected most would be hurrying to the food rooms or their dorms; he was slightly surprised when this didn't really happen. But what really shocked Puck was how there were no familiar sounds of other people being pushed into lockers or slushie stains on the floors. There wasn't the familiar slurs he had often heard and tossed around and each boy looked happy; hell, Puck had even saw two boys kissing-Nick and Jeff, he remembered- and nobody even batted an eyelid. Maybe this place was best for Kurt..

Puck didn't really need to talk to The Dean for anything; he was a badman; why would he want to have to ask someone for something when he could just do it? No, Puck wanted to talk to that Blaine kid, if he was going to be Kurt's roomie, Puck was definitely going to make sure this guy was nice to his boy, even if he did have to use a few threats.

Eventually, through the crowds, he spotted two faces he recognized and sauntered over to them, after all, he was cool. He couldn't look too overeager to question them about Blaine's whereabouts.

"Sup guys?" Crap, he thought, what we're their names again? Leo? Morse? Was one called David? Someone had been. "Have you seen Blaine? I needed to ask if he minded us crashing in his room tonight."

"Who's Blaine..?"

"Oh! T, he must mean Aladdin!"

"Then why didn't he say so?"

"Dunno," answered Fors, turning back to Puck, "I have seen Blaine actually."

"Yeah, we keep a picture of him on our wall."

"In a completely, non-stalkerish way."

"It's surrounded by candles-"

"And rose petals-"

"It's kind of a shrine which we pray to-"

"Blaine thinks it's creepy though."

"Especially when we asked his for some of his shower gel and a lock of his hair."

"But we were only trying to be polite-"

"Yeah, we could have just have cut it off when he was sleeping."

"That is, if Wes didn't lock our doors at night."

"Mind, it not as if we don't know how to escape; it's easy really. You just press-"

"LUDO!"

"What the fuck?" Puck had been trying to keep up with the conversation, he really had, but when a weasel decides to climb over the twins in front of him, Puck felt almost as if he had just lost his remains of sanity.

"Theo! Fors! Don't you dare hurt him! I've only just gotten him to forgive you for last time!" A voice, which soon was accompanied by a face, shouted at the three.

"Aw, but Roddy.."

"No, Theo." Roddy made a gentle sound with his tongue and the weasel quickly jumped onto the young boy's shoulder, nestling into the crook of his neck and Puck couldn't help but wonder if all prep schools were like this. "Oh, hey..erm.."

"Puck."

"Right, um, who are you?"

"Sex God, Titan and King of awesomeness," he answered without a pause, "but you probably just need to know that I'm Kurt's friend."

Roddy's mouth shaped itself into a comical 'o' shape as he stuttered, thankful this boy wasn't in uniform and therefore didn't attend Dalton, "w-why?"

"Why am I Kurt's friend?" Puck asked loudly and glaring threateningly at the younger teen.

"No- no!" Roddy had never been good in social situations and was glad he had Lugo on his shoulder to help him not to panic, "I meant why are you here? It's just most people don't really come unless it's an emergency as students tend to go home at weekends and see friends then."

"So?" Puck had backed off slightly when Roddy had corrected him but still stared intimidatingly. "Anyway, I wanted to see Blaine. Any ideas where he is? I can't get a straight answer out of these two."

"Why do you want Blaine..?"

"Oh, y'know, threaten him, throw a few punches...I'm joking!" He added at the sight of all three's faces, "I just wanted to ask him something."

"It's okay, Aladdin's gay," said Fors, smiling almost understandingly.

"Yeah, and he's single," added Theo.

"Has been for a while.."

"And if you ask him out, he wouldn't be too offended."

"But you should be aware of his love for Katy Perry-"

"So I wouldn't bring her up on the first date."

"But other than that,"

"We can give him your number."

"Or you could just ask him tomorrow-"

"I'M NOT GAY!" Puck winced slightly at the loudness of his statement which had turned a few heads.

"Riiight."

"Urgh, well can you at least tell me where your music room is? You prep boys must house some instruments at your gay Hogwarts."

* * *

When Puck returned, he smiled at the sight afore his eyes. Kurt had relaxed a bit more and was leaning relaxed, but still jumpy as he entered, against Finn who had wrapped an arm awkwardly around the chestnut haired teenager, telling him updates about the New Directions since he had transferred. It had only been around two days bit it was surprising how much news there was already.

"And then Rachel started saying how it was kinda disrespectful of you moving here- not that I think it is- because Karofsky's in jail now and then Santana got pissed and started shouting Spanish- Puck!"

"You forgot the bit where my girl threatened to punch her along with Tina," grinned Puck, turning to Kurt, "you okay princess?"

Kurt's nod went almost unnoticed as Finn chose that moment to jump up from the bed, making Kurt flinch violently as he did so.

"Crap, sorry man, but Puck! You found some guitars then?"

"Did you really doubt Puckzilla?"

"Whatever dude."

Finn grabbed the acoustic that Puck had formally hidden behind his back along with a deeper oak coloured one. Kurt looked up curiously and tried to ask with his eyes what they were doing.

"Well princess, Rachel decided that she was going to march up here and sing you a song or some shit-"

"But we told her no. I mean dude, if you can barely stand going home at weekends because your too afraid, I didn't want her coming up here because it's an invasion of..umm..."

"Personal space?" Puck suggested, "but yeah, we want you to be safe here and therefore, she can't come here and accidentally bring up a load of unwanted memories."

"So then she said, if she couldn't sing to you, we'd have to. Of course, we were planning on anyway but hadn't really managed to find a song."

"At which point, Britney said something which reminded Rachel of a song."

He stummed lightly on the instrument, checking it was in tune -which of course it was. He nodded at Puck who promptly took the lead as Finn played bass (Puck must have been giving him lessons or something- he never played before).

_"Don't give up_

_It's just the weight of the world_

_When your heart's heavy_

_I, I will lift it for you_

_Don't give up_

_Because you want to be heard_

_If silence keeps you_

_I, I will break it for you"_

Puck sang this looking directly into Kurt's eyes and the porcelain teen felt a knot at the back of his throat. Nobody had done this for him before and he was overwhelmed. He knew they both cared, but before they had found him, he thought they'd abandoned him. Finn took the joined in for the chorus, smiling as he did so.

_"Everybody wants to be understood_

_Well, I can hear you_

_Everybody wants to be loved_

_Don't give up because you are loved"_

Finn sung the next two solos.

_"Don't give up_

_It's just the hurt that you hide_

_When you're lost inside_

_I, I'll be there to find you_

_Don't give up_

_Because you want to burn bright_

_If darkness blinds you_

_I, I will shine to guide you"_

Puck took over again, allowing Finn to do the backing as his friend was clearly fighting the urge to drop the guitar and hug his brother as he saw tears fall.

_"Everybody wants to be understood_

_Well, I can hear you_

_Everybody wants to be loved_

_Don't give up because you are loved_

_(You are loved)_

_You are loved_

_(You are loved)_

_Don't give up_

_(Don't give up)_

_It's just the weight of the world_

_(You are loved)_

_Don't give up_

_(Don't give up)_

_Everyone needs to be loved_

_(Don't give up)_

_You are loved_

_(You are loved)_

_(Don't give up)"_

The two football players looked on in silence when the song finished, awaiting Kurt's reaction. Slowly, he stood up from the bed and walked over to his desk; shaking, he pulled out a piece of paper and pen. After a hesitation, he wrote down a single word and showed it to them before being pulled into a hug: _Thankyou_.


	11. Gaining Confidence

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the OCs**

* * *

The weekend soon came to an end and the three boys were sat outside in the courtyards; Puck sat on the back of a wooden bench whilst resting his feet on the seat and Kurt and Finn joined him, only both sitting properly. Glares were thrown at Puck from passing students, some more subtle than others, for disrespecting Dalton property but Puck didn't see them and when he did, pretended not to. Kurt could see he was itching to send them back his own glares in return but was holding himself back for his friend's sake.

Ever since Friday evening, the Finn and Puck had been constantly trying convince Kurt to continue to use a notebook they had bought the day communicated with them. Many of the questions they had asked him didn't get a reply but every so often Kurt would write something down which would make his friends' hearts swell- it was baby steps but they were sure his confidence was growing, if only slightly. And to put it short, Puck and Finn were extremely proud of Kurt. Hell, if their reactions were anything to go by, they were ecstatic.

_*Friday evening*_

The two football players looked at the note in surprise and Finn was the first to move, pulling Kurt into the tightest and warmest hug the porcelain boy had ever received.

"Dude, I- Oh my gosh, Kurt!" Kurt meanwhile, tried to pull away from the teen who was now constricting his breathing and scaring him. He valued his personal space greatly and, although he would sometimes admit to liking Finn's hugs, right then all he particularly wanted to do was escape before any memories returned to haunt him.

By this time, Puck had regained the use of his body and was acting, very uncharacteristically, like a fangirl. He was crying silently and just mouthing Kurt's name whilst looking like a mother who's child had just won gold the Olympics when they weren't even in their teens yet.

Finn reluctantly let go of Kurt when he felt him struggling and ran over to Puck, wrapping his arms around him to and doing a little dance before turning back to Kurt.

"Dude...I'm- I'm so proud of you."

The two had continued acting like this until Kurt eventually had to write to tell them to shut up before they were kicked out by the prefect for being too loud. Although, Kurt did seriously doubt Kane would even consider approaching the room with Puck around.

_*Current day*_

Those words. 'I'm so proud of you'; Kurt had been told that before very recently, from his roommate in fact. Why were so many people proud of him? He wasn't normal, he was a freak- at least that's what he'd always been told, so how come now people seemed to care?

He leaned back in the seat and looked up at the cloudy sky, thinking about Blaine. The boy hadn't been seen by Kurt at all since he had been sent away by The Dean and Kurt wondered what he had been doing. He really hoped Blaine didn't mind having to vacate his room for him because once his friends had left him, he'd be walking meat. Kurt was certain if Blaine wanted to hurt him, he wouldn't be able to put up much of a fight, though whether this would be because Kurt was physically weaker or because Kurt was so used by now to being broken he would give up emotionally quickly, he didn't know. But Blaine wouldn't do that right? The no-bullying policy flicked into Kurt's mind but it didn't really reassure him. Blaine seemed rather popular, the teachers would probably just ignore him if he put in a complaint. With the exception of Coach Sue, that's what all the teachers at McKinley had done. Even didn't do anything to stop it and he was the teacher Kurt had been closest to.

"Princess?" Puck's voice interrupted his thoughts and he turned around to look at his friend, raising his eyebrows. "Hobbit approaching at 5 o'clock. Want me to tell him to bugger off?"

Kurt rolled his eyes and gained a smirk from Puck. Finn just looked confused and cocked his head to the side like a dog. Sure enough, a short male with hair drowned in inhumane amounts of gel was heading towards then, smiling at Kurt when he looked up. He seemed unfazed that Puck and Finn were sending him evils and greeted them politely when he reached the other three boys.

"Hey Kurt! Hello Finn, Puck." He spoke to the McKinley boys with less enthusiasm; some may interpret this as a way of showing his distaste towards them but Kurt somehow the dapper boy wouldn't do this as he seemed to have too many manners. It was probably because he was slightly wary after the argument on Friday and he knew them less. Like he knew Kurt any better.

"Umm, so I was wondering when you guys were leaving? Not that I'm trying to kick you out- it's fine you two being here- I was just wondering if you'd be around for the warblers impromptu performance in the main commons later, it should be happening around fiveish."

Kurt turned to Finn questioningly.

"What's the garglers?" Puck asked, suspiciously.

"The warblers-"

"Whatever."

"-are the acappella glee group at Dalton. They're kind of like rockstars here and every so often they'll sing somewhere. It kind of disrupts everything for a bit."

"Wait, the glee club are cool here?" Interrupted Finn.

"Of course. They're a Dalton tradition and also, why wouldn't they be? Everyone like music in some shape or form."

"Wow."

"Yeah, so will you be able to make it?"

"Me and Puck were actually gonna head back before then, if that's okay with Kurt. Burt needs some help in the garage and then Puck's challenged me to a game night-"

"Which I'll win."

"Ha, it's on dude."

"Right.." said Blaine, turning to face Kurt as the other two started throwing joking insults, Puck however still kept a watchful eye on Kurt as he did so. "Will you come Kurt? It'll be the first performance this term."

The said boy shrugged his shoulders, avoiding the hazel eyes that searched him.

"Maybe? It's fine if you don't want to or can't make it; I understand."

Kurt nodded, wondering if the other boy was putting on the slight sadness in his voice for Finn and Puck's benefit or if it was genuine. He doubted it was.

"Well I'd better be off, Wes'll be hunting me down with his gavel if I'm late to turn meeting. I'll catch you later then..?" He turned to Puck and Finn, "just let me know if you need to move or find anything. Bye!"

He smiled and ran off in the opposite direction to where he came from and Kurt frowned, why was he acting so damn friendly? Nobody, except maybe Finn and Puck (and that was kind of obligatory- Finn was his brother and Puck Finn's best friend), cared about Kurt at McKinley, why should they here?

"Kurt?"

The glasz eyed male glanced over to his brother and instantly wondered where Puck was. The mohawked teenager seemed to had disappeared.

"I was just asking if you wanted to go back to your room- I was gonna start packing mine and Puck's stuff."

After a nod of agreement, both stood up and walked across the grounds, heading into the shade as they walked towards the door, Kurt immediately relaxing more as he reached the darkness he was so used to using for safety.

* * *

Blaine slipped through the crowds, walking fast towards the Warbler Room and biting his lip thoughtfully. Was he too blunt asking Kurt to come and watch the performance? Did he not want to? Oh God, what if he secretly hated Blaine still and set his friends after him? Was Kurt like that? He didn't want the other boy to continue avoiding him- he'd told nobody about the bruises and spent the rest of the time away in the gym to give Kurt space. Even Wes and David had begun to see the change in him and had been quizzing him whenever they were in their dorm together.

He was about to turn the corner when he felt a strong hand grab his wrist and pull him into an empty, none too gently either.

"What the fu-"

"Hello Blaine."

The shorter boy winced as he looked up at the jock, memories he had banished to the back of his mind being brought to the front. The last time he had been alone with a jock he had barely escaped with his life. Almost instantaneously, he fell into a combat stance, light on the ball of his feet which were around shoulder length apart.

"P-Puck?"

"That's me. I wanted to talk to you.. about Kurt."

"Kurt?" Oh hell, had Kurt really sent this guy to beat him up?

"Yeah- you're his roommate, right?"

Puck had now released his grip on Blaine, certain he could catch him if he ran away, although he doubted the hobbit had the guts to.

"Right."

"In that case, I have some valuable advice: if you hurt my princess, I will hunt you down," he punctuated the last three words by each time taking a step forwards. "So I recommend you don't, however, although Kurt doesn't speak, he had feelings. And if you, or your friend Kane-"

"He's not my friend."

"What?"

"Kane. He's not my friend, not since he attacked Kurt."

"...I'm confused."

"We've never been close, but any idiot can see Kurt is scared and nobody should be grabbing him like that."

"Y'know what kid?"

Blaine looked up, inwardly praying he hadn't said too much. Had Puck realized what Blaine was hiding?

"What?"

"You're alright." And with that, Puck left the desk filled room, leaving Blaine reeling in a midst of 'what the fuck just happened?' Luckily, his was soon rescued from his thoughts by a rather annoyed Thad.

"Blaine! Are you coming to the meeting or not? Wes' already pissed your late as it is, if you leave it any longer he'll have killed you with that damned gavel of his."

"Shit, right I'm coming, I'm coming."

* * *

Kurt waved as the car disappeared into the distance, carrying his two friends. Before they had left, they had made Kurt promise to try and socialise more with the other boys, even if it was just for Burt's sake. Kurt changed the subject by writing in his notebook.

Although he was upset Finn and Puck had left, he also felt weirdly happy. Without the other two, he was free to hide himself away again and avoid everyone for another week; he knew his dad would be saddened at this, but Kurt told himself it was okay as he'd already made progress by writing in his notebook...even if by hiding from people would probably lose the confidence he had gained to do this. Sighing, he turned and headed back inside.

"Hey Kurt," a gentle voice smiled at Kurt, making him jump even though the sound shouldn't have. Kurt turned and saw a boy looking up at him, a weasel dancing through his legs.

"I just thought I'd tell you that, at the moment, now might not be the best time to go down that particular corridor."

The glasz eyed teen looked curiously at him- how did he know his name?

"Oh, I kinda have friends everywhere, not human friends, but friends all the same. Like Ludo- that's the adorable creature at my feet. I'm Roderick by the way, but most people call me Roddy. Unless you're the Gremlins, then I'm Hagrid."

Kurt raised his eyebrows.

"I may or may not have a tendency to try and bring any animal around come and follow me and once I might have had a snake. Her name was Sally and she was perfectly harmless but apparently she had to go because she was venomous and she intimidated people. I mean really, she's tiny yet five foot tall humans ate the ones scared of her."

Roddy began to walk the opposite way the twins were supposed to be and, after a hesitation, Kurt followed, frowning.

"It's the Warblers," answered Roddy, spotting Kurt's expression and again, reading it accurately. All his time with animals had taught him how to interpret them well and, while humans were much more difficult, he prided himself with usually being able to. "They're just down there...do you want to go?"

Roddy looked at Kurt questioningly, allowing the boy an option to not see them if he wanted to. After a lip-biting few seconds filled with a slight ticking of the brain (okay, Roddy may have imagined that), Kurt carefully nodded his head, thinking back to Blaine asking him to go. He didn't really know why, but he wanted to see if this boy had told anyone about his bruises yet. And the only way Kurt could see to do this, was to take the plunge and go along to see if anyone treated him differently. Besides, he could always just hide at the back..


	12. Teenage Dream

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the OCs- the song in this chapter is Teenage Dream by Katy Perry, though I'm sure you already know who sung it**

* * *

"Ah well man, at least you'll be back in your own room soon. Although you get used to David after a while."

"Wes, it took you four years and you still complain about it."

"But every year I still ask to room with him."

"In the hope he's stopped."

"No! I mean.." A thoughtful expression clouded Wes' face and he quickly changed the subject, "anyway, we're going to start soon, ready?"

Blaine took one last glance at the doorway and inwardly felt a wave a vague sadness- where was Kurt? He forced a smile and turned back to Wes.

"Sure."

Blaine turned to the onlookers and automatically widened his semi-fake smile, opening his mouth and beginning to sing, his tenor voice sounding perfect next to those of the other warblers.

_"You think I'm pretty without any make-up on_

_You think I'm funny when I tell the punch line wrong_

_I know you get me, so I let my walls come down, down"_

Blaine nearly stopped singing as he caught sight of a chestnut coiff entering the room and he locked eyes with the boy, too entranced to look elsewhere and continue to sing to all the audience.

_"Before you met me, I was a wreck_

_But things were kinda heavy, you brought me to life_

_Now every February you'll be my valentine, valentine"_

Kurt tore his eyes away, instead looking at the floor as the group continued to sidestep, unaware Blaine was desperately forcing himself not to run to his roommate.

_Let's go all the way tonight_

_No regrets, just love_

_We can dance until we die_

_You and I, we'll be young forever_

Kurt peeked through his eyelashes as he heard the chorus approaching and started to wonder what he was doing there. With the teachers currently residing in their classrooms and offices, now would be a perfect opportunity to be beaten up. He was about to subtly leave when Blaine caught his eye again, smiling so happily he almost forgot about his worries.

_You make me feel like I'm living a teenage dream_

_The way you turn me on, I can't sleep_

_Let's run away and don't ever look back_

_Don't ever look back_

_My heart stops when you look at me_

_Just one touch, now baby I believe_

_This is real, so take a chance_

_And don't ever look back, don't ever look back_

Was Blaine being too forward? He just wanted Kurt to come out of his shell a bit, but how would he react to him singing? Did he even like music? Blaine mentally chastened himself for his stupidity- of course he liked music. Everyone does.

_We drove to Cali and got drunk on the beach_

_Got a motel and built a fort out of sheets_

_I finally found you, my missing puzzle piece_

_I'm complete_

_Let's go all the way tonight_

_No regrets, just love_

_We can dance until we die_

_You and I, we'll be young forever_

_You make me feel like I'm living a teenage dream_

_The way you turn me on, I can't sleep_

_Let's run away and don't ever look back_

_Don't ever look back_

Blaine grinned as some of the other scholars who weren't in the warblers began to sing along. He loved to bring people together, especially by doing what he loved: singing.

_My heart stops when you look at me_

_Just one touch, now baby I believe_

_This is real, so take a chance_

_And don't ever look back, don't ever look back_

_I'ma get your heart racing in my skin-tight jeans_

_Be your teenage dream tonight_

_Let you put your hands on me in my skin-tight jeans_

_Be your teenage dream tonight_

Kurt blushed as they met eyes again and thought back to his endless supply of skinnies. A boy behind him began to join in loudly (and badly) and Kurt was brought back to his senses.

_You make me feel like I'm living a teenage dream_

_The way you turn me on, I can't sleep_

_Let's runaway and don't ever look back_

_Don't ever look back_

Without a glance back, Kurt left the room and almost ran through the empty corridors, running to the place where he was sure Blaine wouldn't be, and running away from the questions that plagued his mind.

_My heart stops when you look at me_

_Just one touch, now baby I believe_

_This is real, so take a chance_

_And don't ever look back, don't ever look back_

_I'ma get your heart racing in my skin-tight jeans_

_Be your teenage dream tonight_

_Let you put your hands on me in my skin-tight jeans_

_Be your teenage dream tonight_

Kurt opened the door to the auditorium and sunk into a seat, shoving his bag in the one next to him and pulling his legs to his chest, tears dripping down his face.

* * *

Blaine watched older boy run from the room and, through the corner of his eye, saw Nick gently join hands with Jeff who had stopped singing and looking wonderingly at the place Kurt had been standing. So he had been watching him too? Blaine guessed it was only natural, after they had been introduced he was sure all of them had felt a pull towards him; whether one of protection or curiosity.

The song finished and five of the warblers quickly made for the exit, but, of course, their efforts were in vain as they were instantly surrounded by people left and centre congratulating them and applauding them. Blaine painted another forced smile on his face as he was swept amongst the sea of blue and red blazers.

* * *

Theo and Fors stood in the middle of the corner, water coating the usually immaculately cleaned floor as the two looked up at Mr. Chambers receiving the usual reprimandations. Although they were each very pleased their plan had worked, each had the decency to look slightly subdued from his words.

"-and I had thought you boys had grown out of your childish pranks, you're not little kids any more. And tying water balloons to the ceiling? Really? You two are-"

Fors gave an exasperated sigh and continued to ignore the professor, staring around the hallway and hearing the faint sound of the warblers singing.

Suddenly, he saw a thin figure he recognized to be Kurt's run between the two doorways at the end of the corridor; the teacher didn't see as he had his back to the him, continuing his rant at the twins instead. Carefully, so Mr. Chambers didn't notice, Fors nudged his brother and nodded in the direction he had been staring at. Theo's eyes widened slightly in intrigue as he saw the boy as well before he disappeared around the corner.

"BOYS! Are you even listening to me?"

"Of course sir," lied Theo quickly.

"Then what did I just say?"

"Umm..." Theo shot a panicked look to Fors, silently asking if he knew the answer. Fors shrugged. "You were saying that you were going to let us off because, I mean, c'mon, even you have to agree that prank was awesome."

"Sadly not, and it wasn't awesome. You soaked several people, not to mention the amount of damage you inflicted on books."

"Wait, why are you sad? You didn't get wet, did you?"

"Fors, I think that was a figure of speech.."

"Oh.."

"But what I actually said," Mr. Chambers interrupted, "was that you each will be receiving a triple detention."

The Gremlins rolled their eyes.

"My office, seven o'clock sharp."

"Wait, today?"

"Yes, Theo. Today."

"We can't do today," said Fors, tapping his foot impatiently.

"And why would that be?"

"We already have one today with Miss Hurl for accidentally throwing a paper aeroplane at her-"

"However we could probably fit you in on a Tuesday if that's any good?"

"Fine, Tuesday! But it's a week's detention now."

"Fine."

"Wait, what?"

"He said fine, sir. Can we go now?"

"I- erm.. I guess so, just don't do it again..."

"Right, see you at detention then sir!" Theo shouted cheerfully before both ran away waving, heading in the direction the boy from before had run in. Both hoped they hadn't taken too long with the teacher and lost him.

"Where'd you think Kurt went?"

The two teenagers had come to a dead end in their search which was becoming increasingly difficult as students began to fill the halls.

"Okay...think, if you were Kurt, where would you go?"

"We've barely known him two days- are you really asking me to think like him?" Theo questioned, looking as if his brother had gone mad.

"Yes! Come on, we have to find him."

"Of course, but how are we supposed to know where to look? I mean, what do we know about him? He's not very open."

"Right...so that would mean he wouldn't really want to be around too many people?"

"I guess so."

"Which would mean he's most likely in a secluded room where people won't disturb him."

"But he's not even been here a week...hang on, that would mean he doesn't know many places like those!" Theo deduced, beginning to feel like a detective.

"So where do we know he knows like that?!" Fors grinned, bouncing as he pulled Theo towards the staircase.

After barely three seconds, his brother cottoned on, "the auditorium!"

"It's a possibility," he replied before both disappeared into the cupboard under the stairs; it was unknown to the other students, but this was one of the many hidden entrances to the catacombe underneath the school which the twins had discovered during their first year when they had been locked alone in detention. Quickly, Theo swung open the door which was concealed behind shelves of cleaning products. Luckily, the shelves were attached to the door so it all move together. The two entered the maze, heading towards the lighting box at the back of the auditorium once their eyes had adjusted to the darkness. Each boy had used this way of travel so many times now, their was no need for a torch. Besides, even if they wanted one, they wouldn't have stopped to pick one up, they were in to much of a rush to reach Kurt.


	13. Lost and Found

**Disclaimer: Again, my name isn't Ryan Murphy and I own nothing but the OCs and the story line.**

* * *

Theo silently pushed open the trapdoor at the back of the auditorium, wincing as a creak from the hinges rang out. Thankfully, it wasn't very loud but the two both made mental notes to oil it later. Unlike the other hidden doorways, this one was barely used as the room it lead to was usually vacant so the twins had no reason to use it.

Fors ears pricked as he listened for movement but none reached his ears. Gingerly, they each climbed out of the confined space and lay on their stomachs on the carpeted floor. Slowly, they raised their heads to see out of the window that surrounded the lighting area along with black paint. Theo elbowed his brother lightly and gestured to the darkest corner of the room they were overlooking. After straining his eyes to see what he was supposed to look at, Fors' face lit up as he made out Kurt's figure. Suddenly, both teens were startled back into hiding as another person burst into the room, nearly tripping over their own feet.

* * *

Blaine had finally managed to break free from the masses of people who had surrounded him once the song had finished and stumbled out the door as he looked around the corridor for Kurt. He had made him run. He had to put things right.

"Blaine, what happened in there?"

"You looked like you were going to run."

"I thought you love Katy Perry; you looked like you were in pain."

"Is Kurtie alright?"

Blaine pivoted around to see his best friends standing behind him- of course they had followed him.

"Wait, what happened to Kurt?" Nick asked, sending an intrigued look at his boyfriend who he still hadn't dropped the hand of.

"Didn't you see him? He ran out just before Blainers began to look constipated."

"Gee, thanks," cut in Blaine sarcastically, "but yeah, Kurt ran out and guys, please. You've got to help me find him."

"Why?"

"Are you seriously asking why we have to find Kurt?" Blaine looked disgusted at Wes.

"What? No- I didn't mean that. I didn't! I just meant why'd he run out? We weren't that bad were we?" He turned to David, panicking, "oh God, were we? But we'd practiced it so much- we're gonna lose regionals!"

"Wes, calm down. We sound awesome, but do you really think now's the time to be thinking about that?"

"David! The warblers handbook clearly states-"

"Yes, yes, yes, we KNOW Wesley," interrupted Nick, "you've repeated yourself about this several times before, but right now we need to help Blaine."

Wes tutted, rolling his eyes and pretending to be annoyed- "fiiine."

"R-right. Well, umm, I guess we'll need to split up to find him then," said Blaine, so anxious to find his roommate he had trouble formulating all his words without it coming out in a massive rush. "Wes, do you wanna take the Windsor dorms? I doubt he'll be in any of the others- he barely knows them; David, you can search the outside buildings- make sure you search the old ones as well; Niff, as there's two of you, can you cover the outside grounds and gardens as there's a lot of them?"

"Hang on, why do they get to stay together?" David whined, frowning at Blaine.

"Because otherwise they'll probably just try and find eachother and they won't get anything done. Now, I guess if anyone finds him just text everyone and we can stop searching."

"'Kay," smiled Jeff, eagerly running outside before coming back after he realized he'd forgotten Nick, "and Blaine? We'll find him, he'll be fine."

* * *

Wes trudged up the staircase quickly, looking around for any movement or object that might signify the mute boy had also came that way. Although he had only talked to Kurt once before, the young boy had immediately drew his attention by the way he seemed to hold himself. It almost reminded him of Blaine when he first came to Dalton.

Wes sighed and reached into his pocket habitually, feeling his gavel rest as always in his hand. He'd started this habit when he had first been given it and, at first, he only really did it when he was nervous, but now he did it all the time. It was just nice to know it was there.

Deciding to tackle the rooms one by one, he raised his hand to knock on the door. However, he nearly punched Thad in the face when his friend opened the door at the moment he sharply moved his hand towards it.

"Careful Wesley, you nearly caught me there."

"Right- erm, sorry Thaddeus. Have you seen Kurt?"

Thad rolled his eyes at his friend. They had each been refusing to call eachother by their nicknames ever since they'd met, it had started off because they had hated the other boy but now just did it automatically. It was just something they'd never really given up.

"Kurt? The boy Blaine rooms with?"

"Yeah, he ran off whilst we were singing and Blaine's got us trying to find him."

"I wonder why.." Thad said, although sounding as if he had a rather good idea why already.

"I don't know, he looked kinda upset though."

"Pardon?"

"Kurt? I said he looked upset."

"Right.." Thad looked at Wes weirdly before he understood. He had actually been thinking about Blaine. "But no, I haven't seen him."

"Drat, okay." Wes stayed in the doorway, looking expectantly up and the other teenager.

Thad exhaled, exasperated, "fine, would you like a hand looking?"

"Definitely, I've got to cover the whole floor, how on earth am I supposed to do that on my own?"

* * *

Jeff danced outside as Nick followed, grinning at his boyfriend's antics although he was worried about the whereabouts of their porcelain friend. Luckily though, Dalton wasn't as busy as it usually was as most students opted to go home for the weekend. Sadly, not all had the opportunity to do this as many of their parents were in other countries working, or they simply weren't welcome at home due to messy divorces and famous mothers or fathers being constantly surrounded by paparazzi. They just got in the way if they were at home when this was going on.

"Y'know, it's a shame we're not hufflepuffs," said Jeff after a while, running back to Nick and parting the leaves in hedges, as though expecting Kurt to be hiding there.

"And why would that be Jeffy?"

Jeff grinned, eyes lighting up mischieviously, "hufflepuffs are particularly good finders."

"What?"

"Think about it, there must have been a reason Cedric Diggory found the triwizard cup."

"Jeff, I love you, but please don't start talking about Harry Potter, you know what happened last time." Nick cringed slightly as he remembered the other boy crying on his shoulder adorably after he had read about Dobby's death... for the sixteenth time.

Jeff huffed, moving to a tree and looking expectantly upwards, "fiiine."

Nick smiled, walking up to the other boy from behind and kissing him lightly on the cheek as he also peered up, "I don't think he's going to be hiding up there babe, he might do a Sherlock and fall."

Jeff spun around quickly, a look of mock pain on his face, "too far, Nicky. Too far."

"Aww, you know you love me."

"Yeah, I guess so," grinned Jeff, rolling his eyes. Both boys knew they were each incredibly lucky to have found a place like Dalton where they could be together without their love being called foul words. From what Blaine had told them from what had happened to him, both had decided they never wanted to go to a public school, and thankfully, they never had.

"Come on, let's go have a look near the greenhouses. Kurt might be there."

"I like greenhouses, they're funny."

"What?"

"Well, think about it. Blue houses are made out of blue bricks, and red houses out of red bricks, but greenhouses are made out of glass. It's just weird."

"...I honestly don't know what to say," smiled Nick, looking lovingly at Jeff, "come on. Kurt, remember?"

* * *

"Shit! Sorry! Sorry! I didn't mean to-" Wes was cut off as a door slammed in his face which had now turned a very bright shade of pink. Maybe knocking on doors and then going in even if there was no reply wasn't a very good idea.

"What happened there?" Thad appeared around the corner, looking inquisitively at his friend who was now burying his head in his hands.

"Mikey and Connor."

"Oh...What about them?" Thad smirked as he asked this- it was common knowledge that the two had been dating for ages and made no attempt to be discreet about their love life.

"Er-"

Wes was cut off as a teenager with dyed black hair and heavy eyeshadow popped his head out of the now open door.

"Y'know Wes, if you wanted to join in so bad you stayed outside the door to listen, you could always join us. I'm sure Mikey wouldn't object too much to a threesome, not sure though what David would say though."

"What? No! I didn't mean to do that! You should've locked your door." Thad was still giving Wes a smirk, "shut up Thad, we're both straight!"

"Didn't say anything, Wesley."

"Whatever, and you two, lock your door in future when having sex! Now, I'm going before either of you two come up with another way to ruin my innocent mind."

Connor and Thad both burst out laughing at the last part as Wes walked away- Wes' mind was anything but innocent.

Wes just hoped the other boys had had better luck than himself.

* * *

David's walk was rather unsuccessful to put it short. None of the students he asked had seen Kurt and he didn't want to ask a teacher. That would only make them worried when they didn't have to be- Kurt was safe anyway, Dalton policy would mean he wouldn't get hurt and, if he got lost, he knew all the boys would be willing to show him the way. Well, maybe not the people who dormed in Lincoln but, so long as they didn't know he was in Windsor, he should be fine.

It was definitely rare to find a Lincoln the Windsors could get along with. In fact, the only real friendship between the two houses was the one between Connor and Mikey, although all the boys had to admit, it was impossible not to like him. Not when he stopped Connor from making unlimited amounts of sex jokes and innuendos. The only people Mikey didn't get on with were the gremlins as they often abused the boys forgiving nature.

David turned the corner and climbed another staircase to the top floor of the Latin and Greek rooms. He doubted Kurt would be up there as nobody in their right mind would want to be amongst these walls- as soon as you entered, most people were swept into classrooms by professors who'd only let them go when they could translate a large chunk of text. It was worse if you were actually taking the subjects. It was rumoured one boy had been trapped in there for days when he misread one word and translated it wrong so he was given more and more work. He'd only been released in the end when a search of the school was conducted and the police had found him nearly pulling his hair out by a desk. In all honestly, David believed the story- many teachers were very weird at Dalton, clever, but very weird.

"Kurt? Ku-urt!"

A few adults poked their heads out of the classroom doors, giving inquiring looks.

"David? Who's Kurt? Is he lost?"

David froze, had he really just been stupid enough to call out for the teen? Looking around, it was getting clearer and clearer the adolescent wouldn't be there.

"He's my pet spider. I lost him about an hour ago and I can't find him."

David spun around to see Roddy standing behind him, it really was creepy how quietly that boy could move.

The teacher shuddered. "Well I hope you find it soon, and when you do, please let it go. I hate spiders."

"Really? But they're so interesting! For instance, did you know-" Roddy was silenced as the door slammed shut. "Wow, ruuude. And people wonder why I prefer to hang around with animals."

David stared in vague shock and amazement at the tiny boy who was now walking away, gripping a Latin textbook in his right hand which he must have gotten earlier.

It was strange how he had dealt with the questions the teacher had asked him; the two didn't usually talk to eachother as David had petitioned many a time to stop Roddy from keeping animals in the school. Unfortunately though, whenever he wrote up his argument it always disappeared mysteriously or was ripped up and had little teeth marks in. Jeff claimed it was from the nargles but Wes and he believed there was something else behind it- namely Roddy.

"Wait," called out David, frowning perplexedly as the animal lover turned back around, "why did you just stop that professor from finding out about Kurt?"

Roddy sighed in reply: "do I need a reason? Kurt's a good guy, you can tell that from the way he moves, but he doesn't seem happy. And when your feeling like that, you don't want people around. Not when they're as tiresome as they are."

"People may be annoying, but might I remind you we're the smartest mammal on earth?"

"I don't remember any other species polluting the earth and knocking down thousands of acres of woodland to make room for even more stuff to ruin the ozone."

"Are you saying humans are stupid?"

"Have you seen any other creatures do that?"

"...dude...some animals throw their own poo.."

"And I doubt any of their enemies ever return."

* * *

Blaine curiously pushed open the small door to the cupboard, listening for any sound from within. He had seen the gremlins disappear into it whilst he was hiding around the corner for...reasons, but anyway, the twins still hadn't came out of it and Blaine was slowly growing more confused as the minutes ticked by.

He entered the small room and his eyes quickly raked the empty room. Where were Theo and Fors? Blaine was sure the pair hadn't left the closet as he had been watching it so how did they get out? Looking around, he couldn't spot another exit and Blaine sighed loudly. Honestly, those boys could probably disapparate in and out of Hogwarts if they wanted to. Blaine left the room, deciding to investigate the space fully later- right now he had to find Kurt.

Ten minutes later, Blaine was wondering lost around part of the school he had never visited. It was odd that this was so, Blaine had after all been the one to first discover some of the rooms, if you didn't count the gremlins that was. He seemed to be right at the heart of Dalton now, possibly underneath the normal classrooms he guessed from the stairs he had previously descended. The rooms were now duller and rather unclean compared to the upstairs ones; cobwebs and a thin layer of dust now coated the desks and carpets. Blaine was starting to get scared as he followed a abnormally long corridor until he reached a dead end. At least, that's what he thought it was before he saw a paint chipped blue door. It was shut, but not enough that he couldn't get in.

He bit his tongue: he was definitely over the merely 'scared' category now. The whole situation just reminded him of a horror film- behind the door was probably a murderer's layer or a load of bones and dead bodies. Ok, maybe his imagination was starting to run wild now, but Blaine had made himself a vow to search everywhere for the missing teen, and that included this room. When he pushed the door, he was relieved to find it didn't open- maybe that would mean he could get out of there quicker. He decided to give it one more try before he left, after all, he had promised himself. He threw his weight against it and nearly fell over as the door flew open. That really wasn't how he had planned it.

Composing himself and trying to recover as much dignity as he could, Blaine peered around the room but didn't take in any of its features as he saw a tiny body pulled into the foetal position in a dark corner. The gelled haired boy inhaled quickly as he recognized the beautiful chestnut hair and china skin.

Kurt.


	14. Wizards

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the OCs and the plot**

* * *

Blaine's first reaction to the scene was to rush other to the tiny boy, simply wrap his arms around him and never let go. Kurt looked so frail curled into a tight ball in the corner, it was as if the shadow he sat in was breaking the teen even more, but also hiding him away from everyone. Blaine wondered if Kurt had ever seeked help from the darkness before- the only darkness Blaine had ever known had nearly swallowed him whole.

His second reaction was to resist his first urge and run. He barely knew the boy anyway and it wasn't as if Kurt had ever seemed comfortable around him- their first night the only exception of course, although Blaine now put this down to nerves as Kurt seemed to lack the ability to say no. Kurt reminded Blaine so much of his past self which he had fought for years to be rid of- the scared looks, the jumpy flinches, the way he hid himself away and avoided human contact.

Taking a deep breath of courage, Blaine quietly approached his roommate, desperately trying not to startle him. The lonely boy didn't seem to hear him, he seemed to had shut down his normal senses against the world. Blaine was only a mere few feet away now and could clearly see the shudders that racked through Kurt's body and Blaine couldn't help but feel he should take responsibility for the drastic change in the boy from earlier. He seemed to have a talent for upsetting beautiful people, although personally Blaine thought, for Kurt, beautiful was an understatement. That however, he would keep quiet about. At least, for now.

Blaine cautiously bent down by the pale teen who hadn't seemed to had noticed him yet, too deep into his sadness.

"Kurt?"

The said boy instantly snapped his head up, tremors shaking through his slight figure even more violently as he jumped to his feet, trying to get as far away from Blaine as he possibly could in one bound. The twins in the lighting box gripped each other's hands in anticipation- the next few minutes could go any way.

"Kurt! Calm down, it's me, Blaine. Y'know the one who's probably been quite a bit of an idiot? Well...definitely. Anyway, calm down.. please?"

Blaine was thankful Kurt hadn't yet sunk into a flashback- they couldn't be good for him; Kurt suddenly pulled out a small book from his pocket along with a cheap biro pen. Hesitantly, keeping his eyes on Blaine and keeping his muscles tense as if in preparation to run, he scribbled something down before holding up the paper, pleading with his eyes.

'_Please don't hurt me_.'

A tear fell onto the notebook and Kurt dropped it as if it was infected, the loud thud as it hit the floor sounding like thunder as it echoed throughout the almost silent room. He had already accepted his fate, he simply attracted people who wanted to hurt him. Maybe it was his fault. If he hadn't been so openly gay in McKinley, Karofsky would never have hurt him the way he did; if he hadn't been born the way he was, the world may have never been so cruel. Kurt sunk down to the floor, his back now pressing against the wall, he just wanted Blaine to hurry up and get it over with.

"Kurt?"

The slender teenager refused to look up, the colour draining out of his face. He was told he would be safe here: he was told lies. Nowhere was safe for him, everyone simply wanted to see him hurt.

"Kurt, I'm not going to hurt you."

Kurt's ears pricked, why were people such liars?

"Do you remember what I said one of the first times I met you? I'm going to be by your side all the time. Kurt, please just look at me."

Inwardly, Kurt panicked as his heart picked up speed- a feat which surprised him as it was already going at least a hundred miles per hour. He knew he should probably obey, this was a direct order and he was too well familiarised with the consequences if he didn't. However, he outwardly made no movement, showing no response to the other boy.

"Okay, think about it this way, we share a dorm, Kurt. We've slept in the same room, if I wanted to hurt you, I had the perfect opportunity then. But I didn't, because I'm not like that and I'll never harm you in any way. Remember what makes Dalton different to any other school? Its no bullying policy. You're safe here. Please.. please Kurt, just look up."

Blaine was now on his knees beside the sobbing teen but keeping a short distance away so not to scare Kurt or invade his personal space.

"Kurt?"

A pair of wet, glasz eyes slowly raised to meet the hazel and Blaine's breath caught in his throat. Kurt gulped back a sob and nodded timidly to his notebook. Blaine, happy to have gained a reaction, obliged, delicately picking it up and handing it to him.

'_Why_?'

Blaine stared confusedly at the paper, "why what?"

_'Why are you_-' Kurt paused, crossing out what he'd just wrote and just getting straight to the point, '_what do you want from me?_'

"Kurt...I- I don't want anything from you... I just want to help."

Kurt frowned, not believing Blaine- why would anyone want to help him? He was broken.

"Kurt? Do you... do you want to go back to the dorm? Not that this place isn't nice, it's just rather cold and I think being ill is the worst thing you could get right now."

Kurt bit back a harsh laugh, how could he get any more ill- he already had a disease, or at least, that's what Karofsky had told him. Instead, he nodded silently, standing up and refusing Blaine's helping hand, keeping Blaine at distance.

* * *

Nick and Jeff walked back into the main building having given up on their search. At least, Nick had, Jeff was still tugging at Nick's arm and trying to get him to go back outside to find Kurt- he didn't believe his boyfriend when he had told him that Kurt would be inside now anyway because of the rain.

"But Nicky! Maybe that's what Kurt wants us to think, he could still be out there!"

"It's raining."

"So?"

"He'd be soaked to the skin by now."

"Not if he was secretly a wizard and had used impervius on his clothes."

"Shouldn't he be at Hogwarts then?"

"Umm.."

"See?"

"Wait, no! What if he's lost and he's lost his wand? And his broomstick, because look at him, he's the perfect shape for a seeker, has been stolen by-"

"Nick! Jeff! Did you find him?"

The two looked around to see David running up to them from behind.

"Hey David! Great timing, you just saved me from Jeff trying to convince me that Kurt's a wizard."

"What?"

"Yeah, that was my reaction too. Anyway, have any luck finding Kurt?"

"Nah," answered David, frowning slightly, "I swear he's disappeared."

"Or using a disillusionment charm," cut in Jeff, seriously.

David looked at the blonde boy, wondering how the boy wasn't in an insane asylum yet. Thankfully, before he could voice his opinions, a grumpy looking Wes walked up to the from behind having came down the stairs.

"Hey Wes! Have you seen Kurt yet?" Nick asked, ignoring the death stare he got in return.

"What do you think?" He asked, sassily, "do I have the kid on my arm? The most I've seen is several dirty rooms," Wes made a disgusted noise at this, he had always been thought of as a neat freak, "not to mention finding Mikey and Connor having sex and then being invited to join!" He said the last three words with exasperation leaking from them and Jeff winced.

"So you didn't find him then?" David asked, earning him a sharp slap to his head from Wes. "Ow! Bitch!"

"Dick."

"Douche."

"Penis."

Jeff giggled childishly and Nick looked down at his curiously, a small smile playing on his lips. "He said penis."

For some stupid reason, that made all the boys begin to laugh and Nick gave Jeff a small kiss on the cheek, grinning as he did so: this was why he loved him.

"So no one found Kurt then?" Wes asked after each teen had recovered, "where's Blaine? Do you think he's found him?"

"Chances are he's 'found' the food store for the canteen or my redvines," answered Nick, "I never found out what happened to them anyway.."

Jeff ducked his head, a blush creeping onto his cheeks. Luckily, Nick didn't notice.

"Do you think we should try and find him? You know what happened last time he went into their- he got locked in the meat freezer somehow and the police nearly got involved when we couldn't find him. Actually, it was a miracle he didn't catch pneumonia."

"Urgh," said We, rolling his eyes, "I guess we'd better find him then- shall we check the kitchens first then?"

"Oh, I wouldn't do that if I were you."

David and Nick jumped in shock as the door of a nearby door swung open and two emerald eyed, identical boys stepped out, surprising all but Jeff who smiled widely at them. It was weird how the two had never been able to scare Jeff, it was like he always knew when they were going to pop up.

"Mr. Odaire will murder you two if you two have been messing about with his pens again," said Wes, still managing to keep up his strict act even though his heart was pounding loudly.

"Meh, what he doesn't know can't hurt him," they chorused together, ignoring the condescending look as they always did.

"What about if someone had a gun and shot him but he never saw the gunman, that would surely hurt him..?"

"Jeff! Don't give them ideas!" Theo and Fors merely shared a look, each silently agreeing to buy a fake gun soon and use it on Wes. It was always fun to annoy him as he was always rather uptight, especially when he was in full head warbler mode.

"Hang on, what were you saying about Blaine?"

"Well David-" started Theo, patronisingly.

"Kinda surprised he took his eyes off Wes long enough to notice what we said," muttered Fors under his breath as David refuted the idea loudly.

"Anyway, what I was saying,"

"Is that you shouldn't try to find Aladdin right now." Fors finished his brother's sentence, looking seriously at the four.

"Wait, is this one of your traps? Have you two locked him up somewhere or something?"

"Myrtle!" Fors faked a gasp at Nick, each soot haired boy looking offended to say the least, "do you really think we'd do something like that?"

"You trapped me and Jeff in a cupboard until and wouldn't let us out until we admitted our feelings for eachother.."

"But it worked!"

"Hey, maybe we should try that on Wevid," thought Theo aloud.

"Wevid?" Asked Jeff, cocking his blonde head to the side, leaning it on Nick's shoulder in curiosity.

"Yeah, Wes add David equals Wevid- simple math."

"Screw you two; we're both straight."

"You can't say you want to screw us and then say you're not gay, it doesn't work like that..."

"Fuck you."

"Like I said..."

* * *

Kurt perched on the corner of his bed, staring down at the floor as Blaine sat next to him, still keeping a short distance between them so as not to scare the pusillanimous boy.

"Kurt..."

The said teenager's eyes flicked up for a moment but quickly fell back to resting on the floor, wishing Blaine would just leave. Why should he care? Kurt didn't want his pity. However, Blaine wasn't usually very easily deterred and he was determined to get Kurt to trust him- even if it was just a little.

He bent down on his knees in front of his roommates, trying to catch his eyes in his own.

"Kurt. Look at me...please?"

Unwillingly, Kurt slowly raised his head, looking doubtfully at the lead warbler.

"I know you're scared- I probably caused most of it- but you don't need to be, I swear. I just need you to trust me on this."

Blaine was surprised to see Kurt shaking his head minutely, a tiny smile on his face although it didn't look like a happy one- it just showed sadness.

"Kurt, I promise you, I'm not lying."

Kurt continued to shake his head, now just looking confused and reaching for his notebook, shaking as of he expected Blaine to tell him off for doing so. Instead, Blaine just gave him an encouraging smile.

'_You didn't cause most of the fear...but_-'

Blaine curiously watched Kurt as he crossed out the 'but', what had he done? If he was honest, he was desperate to know so he could fix it and therefore possibly get Kurt to trust him but disliked the idea of pushing Kurt if he didn't want to say. That was probably one of the worst things someone could do, in Blaine's opinion, especially to someone like Kurt who was clearly very nervous about communicating.

Luckily (or unluckily, depends how you see it), Kurt caught the look and instantly began to look at the floor again, he knew trying to talk to anyone would be a bad idea, especially if Karofsky ever found out.

"Kurt, no, I'm sorry," apologised Blaine, not wanting Kurt to shut down again, "you don't need to say why, never feel like you have to do anything around me. If your uncomfortable just change the subject, I'll never pressure you into doing anything you don't want to and neither will anyone else here. Never think we'll get annoyed if you don't reply."

Kurt gave a tiny nod, looking at Blaine with an emotion Blaine had never seen before on him- a flicker of hope. The porcelain teen bit his lip, looking nervously at his book, as if deliberating something.

"What?" Blaine smiled, encouragingly.

Slowly, as if taking maximum thought over his words, Kurt wrote down a sentence in his shaking handwriting, holding it up for Blaine to see.


	15. Cookies

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

* * *

'_Why haven't you told anyone?_'

Kurt only flashed the paper up for a second but Blaine still managed to read it, possibly because he had been peering, ever so secretly, over Kurt's shoulder.

"Why haven't I told anyone what?" Blaine questioned, intrigued by what Kurt could have meant. What was there to tell? That Kurt had very protective friends? That Kane probably had a large bruise now in memory of Puck which could most likely get him banned from campus? That every time he looked at him, invisible butterflies rose in his stomach?

'_About my bruises_.'

Blaine gazed at Kurt tenderly, had Kurt been wondering about that since Friday? To be fair, Blaine had pushed them to the back of his mind so he didn't have to think about them although he couldn't prevent himself from constantly feeling worried about him.

"Kurt.." He reached a hand up, ignoring the other boy's slight drawing away, and lightly held Kurt's in his own, "Kurt, I'm not going to say anything about them if you don't want me to. It's your secret to tell, not mine."

Silence.

'..._thankyou_.' Kurt held up his notebook, keeping eye contact with. It was oddly comforting that Blaine still hadn't let go of his hand- odd because usually, he let no one touch him nowadays.

"Don't mention it- I wouldn't have liked it if someone told everyone my story...although Coop still did."

'_Coop_?' Kurt's eyebrows furrowed and Blaine smiled, happy Kurt was getting more confident with asking questions.

"Yeah, Cooper- he's my brother. But unlike yours seemed to be, he's rather...Well...I can't really describe him. He's just Cooper."

Kurt nodded, not wanting to delve deeper in case Blaine thought he was prying and got annoyed.

"Anyway, I should go find Wes and the rest of the gang- they were looking for you as well and are probably wondering where I am. Will you be alright here?"

'_Can..can I come with you?_'

Blaine grinned, he had been hoping Kurt would say that and trust him enough to go with him, "it would be a pleasure."

Slowly, in case he accidentally scared Kurt just when he was coming out of his shell, Blaine stood up. He frowned slightly, missing the heat of Kurt's hand after he let it go once he had helped the porcelain boy to his feet and almost reached down to pick it up again. Of course, he didn't though- that might be considered inappropriate and invading Kurt's space, although part of him was willing to risk it.

Kurt mused silently as Blaine led him out the door, disbelief aimed at himself and the other teenagers he had met clouding his thoughts and sticking in his mind like chewing gum. Had Blaine really said some of the other warblers were looking for him or had his ears been mistaken? And if they were, what did they want to do with him once he'd been found? Were they going to slushie him (did they even do that there?) or worse? Why did he even ask to go? Hell, why was he even communicating with people now? Karofsky would kill him...or worse...

"Kurt? Are you okay?"

Kurt hadn't realised that his breathing had increased until he felt Blaine's hand resting on his shoulder with a strong look of concern on the boy's face. Instinctively, Kurt shrunk away, but not before Blaine recoiled his hand, apologising but still watching Kurt as if he was afraid the nervous scholar was about to have a panic attack. Actually, after what happened on Thursday, he was probably expecting one. Kurt nodded reassuringly, plastering his face with a rather small- yet extremely fake- smile.

'_I'm fine, you just made me jump,_' he wrote, forcing his hand to stop shaking so he could write, a difficult feat to say the least.

"Well, if you're sure."

Kurt nodded.

"Are you sure you want to come? They won't mind if you want to stay in the dorm or go somewhere else."

Kurt shook his head, starting to walk again so he had a moment to breathe properly before Blaine followed his lead. Hang on, he'd just been offered the perfect opportunity to take so he could leave- why hadn't he taken it? Kurt bit a tiny part his lip inconspicuously so Blaine didn't notice. Of course, he was socialising for his dad's sake...He just hoped the other boys didn't judge him too much. After all, the last time they had officially met, he had had a panic attack and run out of the room. He seemed to had been developing a habit of that recently.

* * *

Jeff, Nick, Wes and David stood in the Windsor kitchens, eyeing the ingredients they had gathered and placed on the counters. The gremlins had run off after their meeting earlier having not owning any patience for standing in one place for two long. Jeff had always suspected it was because if they did that, the teachers would catch them and lock them in detention forever for all the pranks they pulled un the past. However, as Wes had pointed out, they could probably escape anyway if they were ever trapped somewhere- seriously, the pair put Houdini to shame.

The four had gathered in the kitchen, which had thankfully been cleaned and rid of the smell of smoke the twins had filled it with earlier, with the intention of baking cookies as they hoped it would pass the time quicker. At first, Theo and Fors had merely told them to pull a few pranks as 'time flies when you're having fun', but one look from Kane as he passed and they hurriedly dismissed that idea, much as it further convinced the gremlins to persuade them more. In the end, they gave up after Wes threatened to remind a few teachers of their long list of detentions the two had missed in the past. And by a few, he meant all of them. Which meant Theo and Fors having no free time ever again in their high school lives.

"So how are we gonna do this?" David asked, breaking the silence as the boys realised just what they had let themselves in for. Like the twins, none of them had any cooking experience except for Jeff from when he had made chicken noodle soup for Roddy when he was ill- it all went surprisingly well until he remembered the teen was a vegetarian.

"I think we should sort out what we want to make first," answered Wes, taking charge of the group.

"Ooh, pancakes!"

"Cakes?"

"Cookies?"

"Chocolate!"

"Jeff, you can't make chocolate.."

"Really, Wes? So it just grows on trees then does it? Excuse you, but I'm not stupid enough to believe that. I'm guessing you'll be saying bananas are fruits next."

"...they are though."

"Not true actually Wes," said David, smiling at the confused look on his friend's face, "bananas are actually a herb. I read it in a book."

"You read books on bananas?"

"No! ...However did you also know we share about fifty five per cent of DNA with them?"

"Guys, we're never going to get anything done if we carry on like this- now, what should we make?"

"I vote something with bananas in."

"How about banana cookies?" Jeff suggested.

"Is there even such thing?"

"Of course! Blaine made them for me once."

"Well, do you have a recipe?"

"No...but there are three of us- we should be able to figure it out."

"Fine then," sighed Wes, shaking his head to hide his smile, "banana cookies it is!"

* * *

Blaine watched Kurt fondly as they walked down the empty Windsor corridor, following the sound of laughter and singing. He felt so proud- no, privileged- that Kurt had seemed to be letting the world in more; Puck and Finn's visit had really seemed to help the boy, and buying Kurt a notebook was pure genius.

"NICHOLAS DUVAL! Have you no common sense?!"

Kurt wasn't the only person who jumped at this loud outbreak, and Blaine hurriedly had to regain his composure, fearing Kurt may have a panic attack. Thankfully, his concern wasn't needed as instead a look of curiosity fell on the other teenager's face. Of course, Kurt must know by now they were heading to the kitchens as the twins had brought him there before. Blaine quietly wondered however how safe it would be to let Kurt around his friends when they were baking. He knew from experience how crazy they could be- when cooking, the boys usually held competitions on who could sneak the most creative and disgusting ingredients into the bowl without Wes spotting. One time, Nick had even gone so far as to put sawdust in them, luckily, it was clean but that still didn't stop Wes shouting at them when he took a large boy into a cupcake. Nowadays, the asian kept a close eye on the mixture so it was harder to spike. That didn't stop them trying though.

Kurt hesitated as they approached the door, glasz eyes locked on the doorknob as Blaine reached out to open it. Hazel eyes met blue, silently asking if Kurt still wanted to go in. Kurt swallowed a deep breath and nodded slowly but with enough emotion to reassure the lead warbler and make him twist the handle, opening the entrance to the madness within.

"Hey, Blainers! And Kurtie!" Jeff said loudly over the other shouts as a handful of flour flew straight into his face. He spun around, spluttering as the ingredient fell into his open mouth and was breathed in, "guys!"

"Crap, sorry Jeff! I was aiming for Nick- the idiot decided that when the recipe says to 'add egg', it would be a good idea just to check a whole one in without throwing out the shell," said Wes, a hand only partially hiding his cheshire cat grin as Nick laughed unapologetically at the shocked expression on his boyfriend's face.

"We were making cookies," added David, watching as Kurt's confused expression turned into one of horror,(what kind of person put eggshells in any cooking mixture?) "However, these three clowns can't cook to save their lives...nor can I."

"-but that's what ready meals were invented for!" interrupted Nick, silencing however as David shot him an exasperated look.

"Help us?"

Kurt sent a panicky look at Blaine who automatically gave a reassuring nod of the head, too small for the other boys to register it, but big enough to encourage Kurt to help cook. The porcelain skinned teen's lips flicked upwards for half a second before he gingerly stepped forward, accepting the white apron which Wes held out, matching the ones all the other boys were wearing. That was, except Blaine who was now wearing a light pink with (in Kurt's opinion) disgustingly purple polka dots which Nick had offered him under the proclamation that none others were left. Of course, he had been sure to subtly hide the others in the saucepan cupboard first.

"How about we throw this out first?" Blaine suggested as he joined Kurt at the bowlside, curiously peering in as Kurt transformed his face into one of pain.

"Why? It's not that bad, is it?"

"There are eggshells in there, Wes. What do you think?"

"Oh yeah...and eggshells are inedible?"

Kurt bit back a grin and started to remember what the ingredients were for sugar cookies. They were easy enough and tasted nice- that should hopefully keep the other teenagers happy for longer and might even make them like him. It was probably the only way he could get them to anyway.

Once Nick and Blaine had gathered some clean equipment, all the boys began to look slightly lost at what to do next, each head eventually turning to look at Kurt in the hope he might have some idea. Blaine was glad to see Kurt still looking happy- he was extremely grateful to his friends for thinking of this and made a mental note to buy them all coffee soon.

Luckily for them, cooking was Kurt's element, well except for fashion but nobody liked when he wore eyepopping outfits at McKinley, especially not Karofsky, so he had toned it down. Cooking, however, was good. Cooking could be considered manly. Look at Gordon Ramsey, nobody hurt him and he did it. So Kurt had started to bake more and more.

He looked around, wondering what people would say if he got out his notebook and wrote down some instructions. Taking orders from him, doing what he said...since when did anyone listen to what he said though? Karofsky hadn't stopped when he said no; Puck didn't believe him when he said it wasn't his fault; Mr. Schue hadn't helped him when he asked.

"Please Kurt? Do you have any ideas?" Wes begged.

"Kurt, it's okay if you don't, but we'd greatly appreciate any of your input," said Blaine, reaching out to, well he didn't really know what he was going to do. Hug him? Hold his hand? Link arms? He just wanted to comfort the boy, but whatever his intentions, he stopped himself just as he remembered Kurt's issue with personal space. Kurt gave him a small smile, knowing Blaine was just trying to encourage him to open up and so, obligingly, he pulled out his notebook. It was best he helped them anyway, or so he told himself. If Theo and Fors had managed to nearly set the kitchen alight just making toast (he still didn't understand just how they had managed to,) then he feared what these other ones could.

'_Could you please weigh out 250g of sugar..?_'

"Sure Kurtie!" Jeff said, bouncing over to Blaine and stealing the caster sugar the boy had just picked up.

"Hey!"

"Hello..?"

"What?"

"Umm..." Jeff gave him a confused look before running back to the scales and pouring out the desired amount, under the careful eye of Blaine. He didn't want him messing up Kurt's progress though, of course, Jeff had more sense than that.


	16. Lincoln

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the OCs. Sorry.**

* * *

If you'd have asked Kurt what he expected to be doing on his first Sunday evening at Dalton, the last thing he would have answered would be decorating cookies. It was around seven o'clock, and the six boys sat around the counter top, half of them covered in icing along with the table. In fact, the only thing that wasn't covered, were the biscuits. Wes, David, Nick and Jeff were each singing a rousing rendition of 'this is Halloween' from The Nightmare before Christmas.

Somewhere between the baking time and now, Blaine had left for the canteen to pick up several different flavoured pizzas which had now been reduced to empty boxes that lay scattered around the room. Discarded icing pens joined them along with bits of food. Overall, the kitchen now looked as if a bomb had hit it.

"You okay?"

Kurt was brought from his daze from a quiet whisper from his left and automatically, he raised his head and nodded at Blaine before ducking it again and staring at his pumpkin shaped cookie. He still wasn't used to anybody really caring for him, and, to be honest, he wasn't sure how he felt about it either.

"Woah Jeff!" David exclaimed, stopping the singing and staring at the boy's icing covered biscuit. Or more precisely, icing with a few crumbs of cookie beneath, "don't you think that's enough?"

"Huh? Of course not.."

"Jeff," agreed Nick, siding with David, "I think that biscuit's decorated enough. You'll make whoever eats it sick."

"But it's sugary!"

"Yes, but too much sugar can make you ill. Well, not you of course, but most people," Nick added, remembering the time his boyfriend ate about seventy packets of sherbet for a dare and ended up having a sugar rush until second lesson where he fell asleep whilst Mr. Clifford was explaining electrons and neutrons. The man had never let Jeff forget it.

"But it was going to be for Wes! I was hoping it might make his sweeter during warbler meetings..." He mumbled the last part but that didn't stop the other teens hearing at laughing at the eye roll Wes performed. It was common knowledge the boy took the warblers extremely seriously.

"Idiot," he smiled, 'accidentally' dropping some icing sugar into the teenager's dyed blond hair. Nick immediately went to move towards him, defensive for a moment before giving Wes a light punch on the shoulder. Kurt smiled slightly at this, the closeness between the boys amazed him. It was nothing like the New Directions where they argued frequently; these boys were like brothers. His face fell when he thought back to his old 'friends', he doubted they even really liked him anymore. He only learnt Finn and Puck did when they-

Nope. He had promised himself he'd try not to think about that.

Suddenly, the fire exit to the kitchen flew open, letting in a burst of the cold night, which sent a shiver through Kurt's already shaking body, along with two jet black haired boys. Behind them, angry shouts followed, making the gigantic, identical grins each twin wore spread wider.

"Theo? Fors? What the hell-"

"Shut up, Wes! RUN!"

With that, the gremlins tore through the kitchen, not bothering to shut the door the other boys that David recognised to belong to Lincoln. And they looked mad.

"Actually yeah," nodded Wes, climbing out of his chair, "run."

Before Kurt knew it, Jeff had grabbed a laughing Nick's hand and pulled him out the room whilst Wes deserted David who hurried to catch up with him. It would be a near futile effort though- Wes was one of the fastest boys in the school.

"Ugh, would you like to go to the common room, Kurt? It's best not to stick around for the consequences when Theo and Fors have annoyed off the Lincolns. They can be very...creative...with some of their payback. Mainly they're just plain mean though."

Kurt nodded, trying to be subtle with his eagerness to get away from the approaching boys, who's feet were pounding closer to them by the second. The fact all the other teenagers had disappeared did not help his panic.

"Okay, let's go quickly then if we want to avoid them," he replied, gently pulling Kurt in front of him so he could act as a barrier between them and therefore making sure the other house's scholars couldn't hurt the boy. Thankfully, Kurt by now had memorized the way to the place, even if he didn't visit (nor plan to) the well decorated room much.

* * *

Blaine watched as Kurt, instead of slumping into a chair as he did, rested lightly on the edge of the sofa, as if ready to jump to his feet at any given moment.

"Kurt, trust me, they do this all the time. You'll be fine, I promise."

Kurt smiled slightly, he doubted he'd ever really be fine but it was nice to pretend. Once Blaine found our the truth, he probably wouldn't be able to any more.

"They should be gone soon anyway, it's nearly eight- their curfews soon. It got moved earlier because the house decided to, well..that doesn't matter right now."

Without warning, a loud crash sounded from above them, shaking the room and making each boy jump, startled.

"What the-"

Another bang erupted over their heads, quieter than before but still managing to make the jewels on the chandelier overhead tremble. Shouts followed although Blaine was unable to distinguish who the belonged to.

"The Dean is going to kill us.." he muttered under his breath, reluctantly standing up and turning to the quivering Kurt. "I should probably go and stop them before they cause some real damage..that didn't go down too well last time. Do you want to stay here? It's most likely safer than going upstairs, I'll be back in a few minutes."

Kurt nodded- life was always easier if he just agreed, it caused less pain although he didn't think Blaine would hurt him. It still felt weird that he didn't feel as uncomfortable or unsafe around Blaine. Maybe it was because he hadn't run away from him yet.

"Okay..if you're sure. I'll be back soon," he said, giving Kurt a smile before leaving the room and racing for the stairs. He didn't want to leave Kurt, he strongly believed that the boy shouldn't be left alone when he was like he was. Not after what happened to Mark, but if he had to, he would be sure to take as little time as possible.

Taking the stairs two at the time, it was a miracle the short boy didn't fall over: the stairs were already quite steep. Spots of water- most likely from water pistols- decorated the carpeted floor, growing in size the closer he got to the hallway above the common room.

"You two really should have known better than to prank us by now. Where are your stupid toys now, hmm?"

Blaine peeked his head around the corner to see Theo and Fors cornered against the wall, two Lincolns standing in front of them with their backs turned to the gelled haired teen. Two discarded nerf guns lay forgotten on the floor.

"You're right-" one of the twins sighed, dropping his head.

"I guess you've really got us now," the other (Theo?) agreed, also staring at the wet floor.

"However.."

"You've forgotten one tiny thing."

Both boys looked , evil grins twisted on their faces, "this is our ground."

With that, both the gremlins pulled out water bombs that Blaine swore they conjured using magic, and the battle continued. Rolling his eyes at the mess he was certain would ensue, he grabbed the pistols from behind and joined in. They were going to have to clean it up anyway, why not have some fun beforehand?

* * *

Meanwhile, Kurt sat below them, listening to the thunder-like noises overhead, wincing every now and then when a particularly loud bang happened. He hoped nobody was getting hurt upstairs- he'd had enough of that for a lifetime in his opinion.

Without anybody else in the room, Kurt guessed that it should feel kind of weird, but being alone is what he strived for. Of course, he appreciated everyone trying to help him, but when he'd shut himself off from the world for so long to the extent of stopping talking, it felt odd and weird. Kurt liked routine. And, for a while, routine for him had just been being ignored.

Kurt was so lost in his own world (he preferred this to reality, in his own mind, he had control), that he didn't notice the athletic looking, mahogany haired male enter the room until he opened his mouth.

"So," the muscular boy drawled, "you're the new kid everyone's talking about. Kurt Hummel, isn't it?"

Kurt froze, standing up and cowering away from the talker teen who gave out an aura of 'I'm-better-than-you-and-there's-nothing-you-can-do-about-it', which Kurt couldn't help but feel frightened by. And people were talking about him? What were they saying? Did they know about his secret yet? Did they hate him?

"The name's Ford. Harrison Ford to be exact, you might have heard of me, I'm the Lincoln prefect."

Again, Kurt made no movement, hoping the teenager would just get bored and leave- but when did that ever happen?

"Don't talk much, do you? I'm not surprised. You're hardly in the same income range, are you?" He walked forward, leaning over Kurt intimidatingly and spat oh so slowly, "what are you even doing here?"

"Excuse me?"

Harrison's body prevented Kurt from seeing the figure behind, and even if he could see around him, he doubted he could focus. His breathing was too fast now and the practiced boy was struggling to calm himself down.

"Ah, Kane. I was wondering when you'd turn up."

Wait, Kane? Why was he here- did he not know Kurt was there also? He hated him.

"Fuck off, Harrison and get your smarmy arse out of here before I call The Dean."

"I doubt your precious Daddy would really care. Everyone knows he loves me more than you- and I'm not even his son!"

"Get out."

"Who's gonna make me? Surely not you or this weak thing at my feet."

Instinctively, Kurt curled up smaller. He didn't know why; he should have been used to the truth by now.

"You know what? You come to MY house, threaten MY friends and terrorize one of MY house's students. I think you bloody well know who's gonna make you."

Harrison laughed cruelly.

"So, I'm giving you two choices. Either leave now with your face intact, or stay and wait till our best boxer finds out which should be very soon anyway. However, I doubt he'll have much left for him once I'm finished."

"Y'know, you talk big, but you're not scary. Because that's all it is. Talk."

Kane took a step forward.

"Alright, alright. I'm going," he turned back to Kurt, a twisted smile on his face, "this isn't over though."

"Get out!"

Harrison flashed Kane a grin, now innocent and angelic, "why of course."

Kurt never remembered the teenager leaving if you asked him later, he was to concentrated on his breathing which was, by now, out of control. He could hear Karofsky's voice shouting in his ear, louder than ever before and demanding to be heard. But nobody else heard it, just the shaking boy on the floor. The last thing he heard was Kane swearing and running away. A tiny bit of hope died inside of him.

* * *

_*flashback*_

_From an early age, Kurt had never been considered normal, whether because of his unique fashion sense or high voice, he had always been labelled as different. It was not a concept that was foreign to him, and, although none of that had changed when he started McKinley, the bullies had. No longer were they young and limited to cruel names and occasionally tripping him up but instead they were older, more stronger and filled with a need to hurt others in order to feel good about themselves. And as they grew more insecure, their techniques grew more and more pain inducing._

_It was during this time of need that Kurt had first started glee club and formed the bonds of friendship between he and other members. They had been like a family, helping eachother when they got slushied and standing up for one another against bullies. Now, those ties were broken and it felt more like a war zone between them when they weren't singing, so when Karofsky first attacked him, he hadn't anyone to turn to. So he allowed himself to become another piece of furniture in the background and simply sway instead of singing at his usual standard._

_It had been yesterday that Karofsky had stolen his first kiss and Kurt sat in glee practice, barely awake having not slept at all last night, shaking and stirring in his tear soaked bed as he had the constant feeling of Dave's lips pressed against his own. Mr. Schue stood at the front, talking about something that Kurt wasn't paying attention to. On the whiteboard behind him, the word duets was written and Kurt deduced that that must be what Mr. Schue explaining. He should probably start listening._

_"Can anyone tell me what a duet is?" He asked, looking expectantly at the small crowd._

_"A type of blanket," a blonde girl said at the front- Brittney unless Kurt was mistaken, although he doubted it. Although they had never been really close, she was the one he had held the last conversation with from the group._

_"Erm, close. A duet is a song sung by two artists together and that will be your homework for the week." He turned to the board, picking up the pen, "okay, let's see...Santana and Mercedes, Mike and Tina, Sam and Quinn, Finn and Rachel and Brittney and Artie. You should all aim to perform it by this time next week."_

_Wait, what? Had they really forgotten about him? Nobody else seemed to had noticed, each already discussing with their partners song choices and Kurt couldn't help but wish Puck was there. He'd have said something. But wasn't this what he had wanted? To be hidden in the background? Yes, he admitted, he did...he just didn't think being forgotten would hurt so much. He sighed as the bell went, signalling the end of glee and the end of the time for him to say something. Within a second, Kurt had already bolted out the door, trying to get away before the tears could fall. He was so focused on getting to the bathroom, he didn't see Karofsky follow him or the fact he'd entered the male toilets until rough hands grabbed him from behind, twisting his body around so course lips could assault his._


	17. The Lincoln Prefect

**Disclaimer: Yes, I've been lying to you all, I own everything -_- oh! And the song in this chapter is Everybody Hurts by R.E.M**

* * *

Kane ran out of the room swearing, having seen Kurt on the verge of a panic attack and immediately felt a surge of helplessness. Where the heck was Blaine?! Retreating down the right corridor was Harrison and Kane could hear the low chuckle that was escaping the other boy's lips. Angrily, he made a mental note to report him later but, right now, he had to get help. A bang from upstairs lead the boy to the second floor and Kane hoped desperately that Blaine, or someone who knew where he was, had made it.

He had been wanting to apologize to Kurt since he had wrongly accused him of trying to ruin their kitchen. He should've that he wasn't though if he'd paused for even a moment. The first reason was because he had never seen Kurt before so he'd have to new, and what new kid wanted to get in trouble during their first days at new school? Especially one as prestigious as Dalton. Plus, there was also the fact that the gremlins were hanging around with him- they always work alone and prefer not to associate their pranks with others unless it's against them so it should have been a massive giveaway when he saw them with him. Really, if he had taken all of the facts into account, Kane would never have had Kurt afraid of him so he could've helped the other boy instead of running. Hell, he probably wouldn't have even got a punched stomach.

"Blaine? Blaine!"

He sprinted around the corner, nearly slipping on the unusually wet floor but he didn't care for that at that precise moment of time. At least, he didn't until he fell head over heels into a puddle, pulling another boy down with him as he struggled to regain his balance.

"What the- Kane?"

"Fors, quick, have you seen Blaine?"

The undisguised fear in Kane's voice made the twin answer without a moment of questioning; it was clear that something was wrong.

"Yeah, yeah he's just round the corner helping Theo get the last of the Lincolns out. Should I go get him?" But Kane had already disappeared.

"What?! Where is he?" Blaine asked desperately as the gremlins shared a look- again? That definitely couldn't be healthy. Kane had found Blaine seconds after he first crashed into Fors, the twin following him around the corner and trying to find out why he was so anxious and borderline hysterical. When he had found him, Kane had instantly told the shorter boy what had happened and quickly a serious expression fell over the usually cheerful one.

"D-downstairs."

"Should we go get a teacher..?" The twins asked, watching as Blaine turned to run down the stairs.

"Crap, yeah. No. Maybe? If he wakes up and there's somebody right by him he doesn't know, he might freak and do it again..."

"So what should we do?"

"I don't know! I need to go find Kurt," and with that, barely touching the floor for more than a second as he ran, he dashed away. Why had he even left Kurt alone in the first place? He should've been smarter; he should've stayed.

* * *

The doors to the room the boy was in already had it's doors open as he walked in, having managed to calm himself down slightly as if someone else is panicking when you have a panic attack, it only makes things worse. He hadn't been there for more than a second when he spotted the fragile teen curled in a tight ball, he was still unconscious but wincing heavily as if someone was hurting him. But there was nobody else in the room. Quietly, he walked over to Kurt and bent down beside him- he had failed his promise, Kurt hadn't been safe alone.

The teenager beside him seemed to had aged greatly whilst Blaine had been away, although the warbler knew this was impossible. Kurt's hair was now messy and untamed with small beads of sweat forming at the hairline. His body was tenser than usual as if he was trying to fight but the thuds of air which were seemingly being knocked out of him told Blaine the boy was failing. But what scared him the most was the way Kurt's face had been scrunched into a constant looking of twisted pain, Blaine had to fight back tears seeing this. Was this the hurt Kurt really felt under the mask he wore? If so, Blaine was amazed how he had the power to get up in the mornings; he was amazed he was even still alive.

Looking down at Kurt, Blaine was at loss for what to do. He felt helpless; he'd gone through panic attacks before when he had first moved to Dalton but they were never as long as this and had stopped quickly- only reoccurring when Blaine first heard about Mark. He should know what to do. He should be able to help... so why did he feel so powerless? He thought back to the last attack he had, coincidentally, the only one he could remember waking up from, and tried to remember what had happened. It remembered it was during a rehearsal but what had they done? They had definitely got a teacher but what else? Blaine cursed his poor memory, running a hand over the chestnut hair on Kurt's head, wiping away some sweat and trying to calm him down. He didn't even realise he had started to hum a tune until he began to recognise the tune. Blaine was about to stop, fearing it could scare Kurt before he saw the pale boy's features soften slightly. Hesitantly, the hum turned into lyrics, the soft melody breaking the tense silence and tiny, yet distressed, yelps.

_When your day is long_

_And the night, the night is yours alone_

_When you're sure you've had enough_

_Of this life, well hang on_

_Don't let yourself go_

_'Cause everybody cries_

_And everybody hurts sometimes_

_Sometimes everything is wrong_

_Now it's time to sing along_

_When your day is night alone, hold on_

_If you feel like letting go, hold on_

_If you think you've had too much_

_Of this life, well hang on_

_Everybody hurts_

_Take comfort in your friends_

_Everybody hurts_

_Don't throw your hand, oh no_

_Don't throw your hand_

_If you feel like you're alone_

_No, no, no, you are not alone_

_If you're on your own in this life_

_The days and nights are long_

_When you think you've had too much of this life to hang on_

Blaine nearly stopped as he saw Kurt stir slightly in front of him but dutifully carried on. After all, the boy didn't appear scared.

_Well, everybody hurts sometimes_

_Everybody cries_

_Everybody hurts sometimes_

_And everybody hurts sometimes_

_So hold on, hold on_

_Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on_

_Everybody hurts_

Somewhere during the last verse, Kurt's eyes had fluttered open and were watching Blaine. The pale teen didn't appear scared, more curious and wondering; on Blaine's eyes he greatly resembled a young child as he lay in front of him.

"Kurt? A-are you alright?"

Kurt seemed to sadden at that, as if he was remembering where he had been taken in his dream. He pulled a forced smile for Blaine, trying to keep his emotions at bay. It's not like Blaine should care- he wasn't obligated to look after him. But on the other hand, this was the third time he had woken flashback to find Blaine at his side. And each time Kurt found himself trusting the boy more and more, even though he didn't want to.

"No, you're not," whispered Blaine, noticing a tear gather in the corner of the other boy's eye, silently offering his arms out for a hug. He was fairly certain that Kurt would refuse so he was surprised when he felt a warm body against his. He gave a watery smile- he must be making progress. "It's okay, Kurt; you're okay."

A knock a the door brought Kurt back to reality and the porcelain male jumped away from Blaine who, in return, gave him a concerned look. Kurt nervously stared at the floor, wrapping his arms around himself where Blaine's had been. Had he really been so stupid? A gay guy hugging another guy. All kinds of rumours could spread and Kurt would be back to receiving homophobic comments. Of course, Dalton claimed to have a no bullying policy but Kurt didn't want to push it.

"Kurt? My name's Miss Bailey, or Penny. Whichever you prefer; I'm the nurse at Dalton."

The said boy risked a glance up and saw a tall, ginger woman, who looked remarkably like Carole, approaching him, wearing a tentative smile. Kurt's eyes widened as she knelt beside him and Blaine, sensing the other boy's fear, gently reached out and rested a hand on his arm in comfort. Unflinching, Kurt surprised himself by not pulling away but allowing Blaine to rub vague patterns into his blazer. Of course, he bit his tongue slightly out of habit but the other boy didn't seem to notice.

"Can you tell me how this happened?"

"Oh, Kurt doesn't talk," said Blaine, not turning away from the other teen; he had promised Kurt would be safe and he'd be damned if he broke it again.

"Okay, in that case Kurt, you're going to have to come down to the infirmary so I can make sure you're alright," she turned to Blaine, "do you have his parents' numbers? I'll need to check he's not allergic to anything in case I need to give him tablets."

Wait, this woman was going to call his dad? She couldn't do that! His father was still recovering from his heart attack and if he got told Kurt had had a panic attack, it would add unnecessary strain which could lead to a reaccurance. Kurt couldn't lose his dad, he was the only family he had, sure Carole and Finn seemed to like him, but what if they were just doing it to stay in Burt's good books? He needed his dad and if that meant him refusing to visit the nurse, then so be it.

"..Kurt?" Kurt looked up to see Miss Bailey giving him a searching look, "I asked if you were able to stand up? I can get a wheelchair if you feel to lightheaded to do so?"

The familiar sensation of fear bubbled back to Kurt, no way was he being pushed around when he wasn't ill and no way was he going to the information. And definitely no way was he letting her phone his dad.

"Kurt..?"

Pleading with his glasz eyes, the chestnut haired teen shook his head apologetically and jumped to his feet, nearly doing it to fast and fainting, but he determinedly persevered, running out the door and leaving Blaine and Penny alone in the room. He heard Blaine calling behind him but for once was grateful to his old bullies for making him so good at sprinting from constantly having to get away from them. Really, running away was becoming something of a habit for Kurt.

* * *

Blaine was filled with a sense of deja vu as he walked into his dorm and saw Kurt curled on his bed, pleasantly surprised that this time he wasn't having a panic attack. The room was exactly as he left it on Friday and was pleased the two boys he had met (Finn and Puck?) hadn't messed up his side when they slept over.

He had promised the nurse that he would try to convince Kurt to visit her but he doubted that would happen. Kurt barely communicated with him; there was little chance he would with a stranger. Softly walking towards the other boy, Blaine noticed the teen's body shaking, whether from cold or sadness. Silently, Blaine picked up the warm throw blanket he kept beneath his bed and placed it over Kurt's shoulders. Kurt raised his head at this, moving away from Blaine ever so slightly but keeping the blanket on him. It felt oddly safe having an extra layer of protection to hide behind and he wondered why Blaine hadn't shouted at him for running off. He should be annoyed. Karofsky always had when he did so. Made him pay double as much as he usually would. At the back of his mind, it suddenly occured to him- maybe Blaine wasn't going to get angry?

"Kurt?"

Ah. He should've known he wouldn't get away with it so easily, but still, it had been nice to hope.

"First of all, I made you a promise; I told you you'd be safe and I broke it- you weren't. I'm so, so sorry Kurt."

Okay, that...that was not what he expected. But he didn't think for a moment it wasn't genuine, Blaine had a pleading sadness in his eyes that one could not fake. But why should he apologize? Kurt was used to being let down.

"You probably think it's weird, but you know, I don't want you to get hurt. You don't know how.." Blaine sighed, fumbling with his fingers nervously and gently sat on the edge of Kurt's bed.

"Can- can I tell you a story?"


	18. Storytime

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but he plot and OCs**

* * *

Kurt frowned, instead of annoyance, Blaine wanted to tell him a story? He looked at Blaine curiously yet tried to act as if he wasn't very intrigued, he didn't want Blaine to see in case he changed his mind. Kurt wondered what tale Blaine could possibly want to tell him and, more importantly, why, but he managed a feeble smile at Blaine to encourage him.

"Okay..do you know where Missouri is?" Blaine asked, taking a deep breath and nodded when Kurt replied in the positive, "yeah..yeah, I guess you should, it's only one or two states over. Well, in Missouri, there's a small place called Park Hills and there lived a boy, he doesn't live there anymore, but, well, he definitely used to. Now, this boy, he..he always knew he was different to the other boys- he preferred to stay inside when it rained, he avoided getting his clothes dirty, he wasn't ocd, he just liked to be clean."

Blaine glanced up to see if Kurt was still listening and was grateful when he saw the other teen watching him intently, it was weird as, although Kurt was doing this, Blaine felt under no pressure to tell the story without pausing every now and then. This was a difficult story to tell for him- and not because he had forgotten it, he just forgot he was capable of formulating words.

"During elementary school, none of this had ever really mattered to anybody, it was during high school people really started to comment..but as soon as people started to do that..well..the bullies began to notice too."

* * *

_The short fourteen year old delicately walked through the wet field that surrounded the school, trying to make his stepping fall towards the dryer parts. His face was decorated with a look of concentration as he dodged the bits of mud which sprouted up here and there, a result of frequently using the fields to train for football and athletics, the school having not had enough money to build a proper track and good water drainage. It was his second week at the new school, and it was the first day it was cold with the ground wet, having rained the night before._

_"Aww, look at posh snob over there, got something against the dirt? Think it's not good enough for you?"_

_The hobbit-like boy looked up, painting on the polite smile he had grown accustomed to during his parents' house parties with work colleagues._

_"Of course not, I just didn't want to get my clothes muddy."_

_The towering group of teenagers, who must be at least sixteen, surrounded the youngster. Judging by the state of their foul-smelling, clearly unwashed outfits, they didn't particularly care for theirs._

_"I don't want to get my clothes dirty," the biggest of them mimicked in a high pitched voice, "well. Isn't that a pity."_

_"I-isn't what a pity?"_

_Each face switched to a malicious grin; "this." And with that, the bully gave the boy a forceful shove, making him fall to the floor and splatter himself in mud. "Oops! My bad," he laughed, "we don't want 'posh' kids like you here. You have no place at this school." And, with that, the jock high fived his cronies and walked off, leaving the tiny teenager in the mud, shivering as last night's rain soaked into his clothes._

_From that day onwards, the teen made sure to always take the back entrance into school._

* * *

"This boy..at first it was just shoves every now and then. I guess that after that day, he began to wear what everyone else wore; he'd make sure to blend into the crowd. It wasn't that he wanted to, he despised the outfits he'd had to wear and he wasn't even very into fashion at all, no. He did it out of self preservation."

Kurt found himself unable to pull his eyes away from Blaine who was staring, transfixed at the floor whilst he talked. At the back of his mind, he wondered where Blaine had heard the story.

"You know, it's strange: you'd think his parents would have noticed, said something about it even.. but they didn't. Both were on business trips so often, they barely ever stayed home for too long, and when they did, it was so they could throw parties. They loved him, his mum possibly more than his father, they just weren't around much."

"He could put up with an otherwise empty house when his brother was with him, it never really felt very lonely, but when he moved to LA for more acting opportunities...well, the silence seemed so much louder. It was his brother he had always been closest to, him being the one who had practically raised the boy. Of course, when they were younger, the pair had had a nanny, but she got fired after the older boy got into one too many arguments with her about confiscating the younger child's toys as she deemed them 'unfit for a child of his gender and age'." Blaine snorted, smiling as he remembered the next part of the fiction, "that was the first time the younger male heard his brother swear, replying with a long list of insults which he was told 'never to repeat in front of mummy and daddy'."

Kurt could relate to this- throughout young elementary school, he would host weddings for his power rangers, marrying them off into different pairs everyday. That was, at least, until some older kids had came up to him one day and stole them away from him. After school, Kurt had found them lying in the sandbox with their heads and arms ripped off. When his dad had found out, he had bought him some more, claiming to have 'fixed' the broken ones but Kurt had known better. He never took his toys to school again.

"Anyway, it was during this time at high school that this boy was beginning to question himself, the main thing though, being his sexuality. He had always assumed he was straight- heck, he never even knew there was anything different- until he got his first crush. But it wasn't on a girl, it was on a guy and the boy was confused to his wits end. Was there something wrong with him? Did everyone go through what he was? Could you even crush on a guy or was it impossible? He'd only ever heard of what he felt in passing from a bully, but he was using it as an insult so it didn't really count. He began to refrain from eating and not concentrate in class, he didn't mean to but the same question would constantly plague his mind, instantly taking away his appetite and focus. What if he was an insult? Less than three weeks later, however, the boy's thoughts were answered when he met a boy named Mark. Little did he know just how much their meeting would help him and change him for the better."

* * *

_The familiar sounds of curse words and thuds echoed the halls and the young teenager looked up, surprised that, for once, it wasn't him. A boy, taller than him, was sat on the floor, pushing himself to his feet where the bullies had pushed him to the ground._

_"Ha! Watch it homo!" They called, turning to walk away with proud smiles on their faces although why they should be happy they hurt some, he wasn't sure._

_"You know 'homo' actually translates to mean man? It's one of the next stages of evolution after you neanderthals."_

_A tense silence fell in seconds. Nobody ever stood up to them._

_"What did you just say, fairy?"_

_"Oh, you heard me."_

_"You'd better watch out kid," the same bully who spoke earlier said, about to push him over again but spotting a teacher, "there's no one to protect you out of school."_

_And, with a menacing look, the oversized group marched off, sending harsh glares at anyone who stood in their path._

_Now the bullies were out of sight, the boy on the floor's face twisted into one of pain, wincing as he touched his left wrist. The other boy thought it was strange how nobody came to help him, after all, this male didn't look any different to anyone else. Nervously he approached._

_"What do you want? Come to snigger at the gay kid too? Well go ahead," the boy said this bitterly, but kept a strong mask on his face to hide the humiliation, the only problem was, was that the other had worn one the same and could easily recognise it by now._

_"No, I'm not- they're like that to me too," he said, ducking his head and feeling slightly ashamed even though he knew he shouldn't be._

_"Oh.."_

_"Yeah..but why do they hurt you? I mean..well..you look normal."_

_"Umm, thanks I guess? I'm- I'm gay." A pause. "You can feel free to run if you want, I won't stop you."_

_"I'm not going to run. But...what's gay?"_

_"Oh. I..I like guys."_

_"What do you mean?"_

_"I like...well, I feel the way about guys, the way most males feel about girls.."_

_"Oh! Cool, I like music." Okay, that was random, but luckily, the other boy merely smiled._

_"My name's Mark."_

* * *

"Meeting Mark really enlightened the other boy on how he felt; he started to be less afraid of his feelings and began to understand that he might be gay too. Over time, he grew more and more comfortable with it; it was funny, Mark never pushed the idea of him being straight. It was as if he knew, the way he would frequently skirt around the topic of his friend's sexuality and, when they did, he would use gender neutral terms."

Blaine glanced up, relaxing the muscles he wasn't even conscious he had tensed. Kurt had relaxed as well, being too swept by the story to feel any fear.

"So soon, this boy had come to terms with the fact that he was gay and felt sure enough to take his first few steps out of the closet. The first person he ever told was Mark, after all, he was one of the closest friends he had and the only gay one. He was also the only one whom he was certain would accept him."

"Mark's reaction to finding out was very positive and gave the boy courage about telling more people. Mark didn't question it. He didn't laugh; he didn't think the younger teen was lying but he accepted him. He gave him confidence."

"Three weeks later, he came out to his family, making sure to do it on a weekend was visiting, him being the one to have almost raised the teen."

* * *

_The dark haired teen sat nervously at the dinner table, picking at his food and barely eating. He had decided that tonight was the night. Tonight was the day he'd tell his parents. To be honest, he wasn't sure how he was going to do it- when he had talked about it to Mark, he'd said that his parents had found out when they came home to find him making out with another boy on the couch. The other boy didn't particularly want to come out that way to his._

_"Hey, squirt? You okay? You're not eating," his older brother asked, directing his parents' attention to his sibling and moving the topic from his upcoming role._

_"I- I'm fine.. just not very hungry."_

_"Oh?" That puzzled the twenty two year old- his brother never not ate his food, even when he was feeling sick as hell but he didn't question it. If the younger boy didn't want to talk, he knew better than to push for answers, "well, okay..anyway, there's this company and apparently they think I'd be perfect for the lead role in-"_

_"I'm gay," the short teen blurted out suddenly, interrupting his brother and mentally chastened himself. Wow. Smooth. A heavy silence fell at the table._

_"W-what?"_

_"I-I'm gay, dad."_

_"Are you sure? It's probably just a phase or s-"_

_"Freddy!"_

_"I- I have to go," his father said, giving the child a last, torn look and walking quickly out the door. Only the sound of the young brother's choked tears broke the silence until the elder reached over and pulled him into a tight hug._

_"C'mere squirt, it'll be okay. He'll come around sooner or later."_

_Over the sobbing boy's head, the brother shot his mum a begging look but she simply shook her head and walked to her room._

* * *

"A few weeks later, an argument between the parents about the boy erupted and tensions were wearing thin. That night, the mum left them and went to live back with her parents. Apparently she couldn't face her child anymore without feeling disgust."

Tears threatened to fall down Blaine's cheeks as he said this and he blinked rapidly to get rid of them, turning his head away slightly from Kurt.

"After she did this, the father walked out of the house, leaving the brothers alone for the night. The elder had an audition the following morning in Los Angeles, but being the loving idiot he was, he stayed and missed it. After a full fourty eight hours, the dad returned, towing a wreck of a car behind him and claiming the fourteen year old was going to help him fix it. It was probably just a ploy to get him to turn straight though."

Kurt frowned, he frequently worked with cars yet he was about as straight as a roundabout. It just didn't work.

"When the kid went to school again, he decided to continue to come out, bit by bit. He wasn't going to let one negative response ruin his plan. And so, he told a few more of his very closest friends. Two hours later, the news that he was gay had been heard by the entire school. It turned out his supposed friend Collin had spread it around, making sure to tell the jocks first though; he had a plan. He had wanted to become popular. It worked in that sense, he was now the ringleader of the group and the person who would encourage the rest to hurt him and Mark, deciding that they were out to convert everyone."

"That day...well, everything seemed so much worse. The abuse, the slurs, the unpitying pain. Nothing was holding back the bullies now and it was a regular occurrence to be shoved to the ground, locked in janitor's closets, their possessions defaced and covered in demoralizing graffiti, getting tied to lampposts...those bullies made their lives hell. But what pained the boy the most, was that his father still avoided him, and his mother never made any attempt to contact him. It was as if the world had turned against the boy."

"A year later, the bullies still hadn't ceased their taunting and the boy couldn't help but laugh as he remembered how he thought it would all blow over in a day."

* * *

_The feeling of hands grabbing him from behind and dragging him on his knees by was one the boy was very well accustomed to by now, and he wasn't around of it. Recently, he'd taken to coating his locks in vast amounts of gel to ruin the bullies grip on it so they couldn't pull any more out. He didn't like doing it but it worked, they avoided touching it as it felt disgusting on their hands. He now succumbed to their torture easily, fighting had only ever gotten him more bruises which swelled and hurt like hell afterwards._

_Soon, he felt a heavy kick at his back, making him fall flat on his face into the claustrophobic, disinfectant smelling room. The door was quickly shut, blocking out all the light except the small line that creeped under the door. He heard the menacing laughter and jangle of keys as they locked him in before it finally retreated. Brokenly, the boy curled himself into a ball, letting the tears fall as he waited for someone to let him out. They'd taken his phone and bag so he couldn't call Mark for help as he usually did, and was sure that when he was released he'd find his essays he'd worked for days on ripped up and scattered across the grounds. Just his luck._

_Four hours later, footsteps approached the door and the teen called out, not caring whether it was a jock or a teacher, he just wanted to get out. The sound faded away, leaving him alone and the memory taunting him. He sat back down and tried to remember some lyrics or anything to pass the time without him turning into a mess again._

_An hour after that, new footsteps, a single pair this time, came outside the door but the male didn't raise his hopes that they'd help. Life just didn't work like that for him. He sunk his head into his arms which rested on his bent knees and tried to make himself smaller, maybe if he did it enough, he'd disappear altogether._

_Involuntarily, he flinched as a gentle hand came down on his shoulder and looked up, expecting to see a jock and, most likely, a punch flying towards his face. Instead, he saw his history teacher, kneeling by his side and giving his arm a comforting squeeze. It might have been okay had he not had a large bruise there under his clothes from earlier; the teacher hurriedly withdrew his hand, instead standing up and helping the boy to his feet._

_"Are you okay, kid? Who did this- they didn't hurt you did they?"_

_The boy sighed in annoyance, now people cared. Maybe if they had before none if this would've happened._

_"Who told you where I was?"_

_"Mark did. Well, he guessed. When you weren't there for second and third period and you didn't answer your phone, he assumed you'd gone home but was scared as, well, it's not really like you.. Anyway, during fourth when you weren't there, he overheard some boys joking about locking you in here and immediately ran out of my class. I caught up with him and made him tell me what happened and, well..here I am."_

_"..right, well thanks. But umm, do you know where my stuff is?"_

_"Your stuff?"_

_"Yeah they- they took my phone and bag."_

_"Oh.." the teacher bit his lip, how could he not have noticed? "No but..Well on my way down here..well.."_

_"What?"_

_"Your lockers been vandalised and the principal wants to see you."_

* * *

"You know, since the never found who did it, the principal made him pay for the damages to his locker. He was a homophobic douchebag anyway, seemed to think the boy had done it himself."

Kurt scrutinized Blaine as he said this, he usually seemed very proper and he had only heard him swear when he was angry before and he didn't strike Kurt as the type to do it a lot.

"They called his dad in, and the chances are he would have been expelled had it not been for the teacher who'd found him standing up for him. As it was, he ended up getting detentions for the rest of that term and all of the next. Not that he minded of course, it kept him out of the way of the jocks at lunch and break times, he just worried for Mark. Who was going to help clean his cuts if he was stuck in detention?"

"Anyway, around six months later the teen stopped having to serve detentions and was surprised to find the bullies had let up for a bit. Junior prom was approaching and most of them were running for prom king, he guessed they just wanted to gain more votes by being nice and hiding their real personalities."

"Anyway, the boy and Mark went together to prom, just as friends mind- they just wanted to say a massive 'fuck you' to everyone who had hurt them in the past. Mark's parents were going to drive them there, and then the other boy's drive them home, and so, they went. Everything was fine when they were inside, it was when they were going home that the problem occured. They had gone outside to wait for his dad but..well.." Blaine took a shuddering breath, his voice lowered to a whisper as he spoke next, "these guys came out of nowhere and..they- they beat the living crap out of us."

If Blaine saw the shock that covered Kurt's face, he didn't show it. Us? Hang on was this story-? It couldn't be, Blaine couldn't have a history like that he...He just seemed so..well..he didn't seem to have any problems- he was lead of the warblers for God's sake!

"Two weeks later, I woke up in hospital...I'd been comatose since the attack with multiple injuries to my arms, chest and legs. They guessed whoever did it used some kind of bat..." Both boys shivered, neither doing it from cold. Tentatively, Kurt slowly reached out an arm and gently patted Blaine's hand. The other boy gave a teary smile and Kurt allowed him to wrap their hands together. It may not be what Kurt intended but, by the look on the other teenager's face, he needed some comfort right now.

"Cooper, my brother, was by my side when I woke up, telling me he and dad had decided to send me here, having heard about the school's no bullying policy. When I was finally released, well, I came straight here. The entire time I only saw my dad once; I'd made Cooper promise to keep him away from me. If he had actually picked us up on time, none of it would have happened, but of course, he had to make a point about him disliking my sexuality and be late."

"Mark returned to our usual school around a month before I started Dalton, his injuries being less damaging than mine. He later told me that I had tried to hold them off and let him run for it." Blaine smiled, "apparently I'd even gone so far as to jump on them so he could escape, it was idiotic but if he hadn't managed to have got away and called the police before they caught him ...well. The end of the story might have been very different."

"When I first started at Dalton, I would skype him every night. We may be distanced, but I didn't want to lose his friendship after everything we'd been through. He was like another brother."

"I- I guess I should've seen it coming...the skype calls becoming shorter and shorter, less and less. Phone calls were reduced to just text here and there until they stopped altogether; we barely ever communicated anymore."

Blaine looked up, tears falling unashamedly down his face as he choked out his last few sentences.

"A week into Dalton a received a letter from Mark. It was weird, I never got letters from him, he'd always call or something. He had dyslexia and he hated writing. Anyway I- I just put it to one side. I was in a rush for first period so I thought I'd just read it later. "

"Second session I was pulled out of class and taken to the Dean's office. That-that morning, Mark's little sister had found him hanging from his ceiling."

"When I ran out of the room, I just knew. I reached my room and I opened it..." Blaine's voice was almost inaudible as the next few words came out in a shaky whisper, "the letter I had received was his suicide note."

"He must have been planning it for a while, to get the note in the post and get it to me on the day. I should've done something! I should've stayed or made more of an effort to talk to him, but I thought he was making more friends.. my stupidity killed him, Kurt."

Kurt frowned, looking up at Blaine- he was no murderer. The boy had now dissolved into a pit of tears and Kurt ever so slowly built up the courage to give him a comforting hug. It wasn't his fault.

"K-Kurt," said Blaine eventually, looking so helpless as he raised his eyes to meet the blue, "I.. I need you to understand, I'm- I'm not telling you this so you pity me- I'd never do that, but that look, the one you have in your eyes- I recognise it. You try to hide it, but I've seen it before. Mark had it, I used it a lot... you've been hurt, I don't know what happened, but you can't bottle it up or it'll all come crashing down. You need to vent it..please, I- I don't want you to end up like Mark. He shut himself off and-" he looked up at the ceiling, trying to keep the tears in and not let anymore spill, "please."


	19. Of Lessons and Lunches

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the OCs and the storyline**

**Also, I'd like to thank everyone who favourited/followed this fic as it means a lot and I love every single one of you- and finally, a huge thanks to TweetArya and Gleek10660 for being my first two reviewers! I'll admit they both made me squeal and blush for longer than I probably should have..**

* * *

It was almost a week after Blaine had told Kurt about what had happened to him, and somehow, the two had grown closer. Kurt didn't know how it had happened, he didn't mean for it, but slowly he found himself learning to trust again. Maybe it was because he now knew he wasn't the only one with a black past; maybe it was because, in the depths of his mind, he was beginning to understand the other boy wouldn't hurt him. Whatever it was, for after a long time, Kurt finally felt he might have found someone who could be his friend.

This didn't mean however, that Kurt was happily socialising with everyone and had his confidence back. He still avoided most situations where he'd have to be too close to someone or rely on them, even talk (well, write) with them a lot. He did, however, find himself using his notepad a lot more around Blaine, and occasionally around other people. When it wasn't his roommate, it would generally be one word answers, but it was progress all the same. For his tiny smiles and meeting of their eyes, it was as if it had changed his perspective on the world. Maybe there might be somewhere where people didn't want him hurt.

It felt weird when he thought about how he wasn't talking and was in a school where he knew almost nobody, but he almost considered this week to be the best he'd had in a long time. Dirty looks and locker slams seemed a whole world away at this school, although that might just be because, if he had annoyed anyone, they had worse planned. But that would be in the future and, at the moment, Kurt nearly considered himself happy. Each day this week, he had awoken early and quickly jumped in the shower so Blaine could go in when he woke up, sometimes going for a run beforehand to calm himself down, but every time without fail, there'd be his coffee order waiting for him from Blaine. It was a small thing, but it was the little gestures like this that made Kurt feel safe.

Although he wasn't uncomfortable, he couldn't help but feel upset. After this class, he only had lunch and then one more as all their year had a test in p.e during fourth. Due to a doctor's note, he didn't have to attend this and so he planned to complete some more of his catch up work. It was funny how at Dalton, they didn't have p.e lessons as such, but they were made to do at least an hour of exercise a week, although they could do anything from table tennis to soccer for this. Of course, out of class he had been advised by the Dean to join a sport club, but Kurt didn't plan on doing that anytime soon. However, that was not the reason he was feeling slightly down. It was Friday and tonight he'd be missing yet another of his family's friday night dinners and wouldn't have seen his dad or most of his friends for yet another week. He couldn't return home just yet, not when Karofsky hadn't been caught and safely tucked away in prison. He already knew where he lived, hi family had told him it would probably be best if he didn't return home until the fugitive was found in case he got hurt. Kurt couldn't help feeling, however, that his dad was lying when he said this and merely wanted the boy away from him. Before the incident, Kurt would never even have had this cross his mind, let alone consider it to be true as his dad had always told him he loved him...nowadays, he wasn't so sure.

Kurt was sat in Chemistry, his lesson that resided before lunch today, and dutifully took down notes. Blaine had somehow managed to persuade Mr. Clifford to let him sit next to him- something about being his roommate and so he could help Kurt if he got stuck. Blaine knew how hard it could be to catch up on work if when you've moved from a public school during term.

Jeff, after silently returning a text to his boyfriend, careful as a ninja not to get caught, would occasionally glanced back over the tables to see if the pair was okay but couldn't seem to see anything wrong, even if it was slightly quieter than usual. He smiled gently as he noted the way Kurt didn't lean away from Blaine, instead only leaving a gap of around three inches between them. It may seem like a lot, but Jeff, although sometimes appearing slightly dumb, definitely noticed things. And he liked to think that made him rather smart too. He had always known there were different ways of being clever, and he was around people. Grades never had really bothered him; if he failed, he failed and if he passed, he passed. It was only letters.

"Mr. Sterling!" Mr. Clifford called loudly from the front, making the blonde jump and hurriedly pretend he was actually paying attention, "I know you think Blaine is pretty, but I doubt Nick will like it if you're constantly staring at him so please turn back around and put whatever you're playing with under the table away. Now is not the time."

Jeff blushed brightly as a few muffled giggled broke out at the innuendo and he hastily placed his phone into his pocket.

"Thankyou, now. What was I saying?" The teacher paused, twirling a glue stick as he thought, "Ah yes- atoms!" The glue stick was thrown lightly into the air before the man caught it deftly, using it to point at the boys, "whatever you do, do not trust them; they make up everything."

The poor joke was applauded with groans breaking out from all of the boys.

* * *

The bell rang out through the room nearly an hour later and the boys were dismissed, each filing out the door and, Kurt guessed, discussing the lesson and the awful puns and jokes (- what do you do with a dead scientist? Barium!) The blue eyed male stayed behind, wanting to find out how to do a particular part of the syllabus he never covered at McKinley and confused him slightly. Although he was smart, science had never been his strong point.

Five minutes later, he left the room, feeling satisfied he could now at least attempt the questions with some level of understanding. The teacher had helpfully explained it in detail with Kurt barely having to say anything; it had really helped lower the pressure and unreasoned fear behind him that his mind had built up.

As he exited through the door, he was surprised to see Blaine standing patiently outside on his own, a friendly smile forming on his face in greeting as he saw the other teen. Hesitantly, he gave a tentative response before turning to walk down the corridor, expecting Blaine to go into the classroom as it was free now.

"Hey Kurt, wait up!"

The porcelain teen turned to see Blaine jogging up behind him and couldn't help but be reminded of when the bullies would chase him through the school, playing a game of 'who can hurt the gay kid first.' That was a very fun game for Kurt- note the sarcasm. Blaine had by now reached Kurt, the grin still playing on his face yet he sounded slightly out of breath- Kurt hadn't walked that far had he?

"Hey," the shorter boy's eyes were bright and Kurt wondered if his would ever be again; Blaine was hurt yet he now seemed happy enough, maybe one day he could achieve that too.

'_Hey_,' he wrote in reply, having recently taken to not putting his book away but keeping it out in a way of challenging himself to communicate with more people.

"So, um, it's lunchtime."

Kurt nodded.

"I mean, I haven't seen you in the hall and I was wondering if you'd been getting anything to eat and I kind of didn't want you to get ill because.. I'm sorry, I'm rambling. Anyway, what I was trying to ask was whether you'd like to come and sit with me and some of the others?"

'_I'm sorry, I can't, I have to go somewhere_,' Kurt was glad he wasn't speaking so Blaine couldn't hear the stutter he made as he read it in his head and spot his lie in seconds. If he was honest, he had nothing on- he was just going to eat the cereal bar he'd put in his bag for lunch and then go and hide in the girls bathrooms. As it was an all boys school, they were only used when the girls from Crawford Country Day came to visit which didn't happen very often, or so he had overheard. He didn't want to risk the auditorium after all the times he had been caught there, besides, at McKinley he had always felt safest there, why should it change at Dalton? Aside from the fact that there was the no bullying policy and the students were so well mannered they'd never dare to intentionally hurt anyone.

"Oh Kurt please? Just this once, I promise you can leave at any point with no questions asked. Nobody will hurt you or try to, and if they do, I'll protect you. I just want you to make some more friends and open up. Please?"

The question sounded so simple, yet Kurt could see how much it could pain the other if he didn't, especially thinking back through his history. He was just trying to do for Kurt what he couldn't do for Mark. Reluctantly, Kurt gave a small sigh before nodding whilst biting his lip nervously- he didn't think Blaine's grin could get any wider, but it did.

* * *

"Y'know, you should rub sugar into it, it'll heal it quicker. Hang on, I think I've got some somewhere.."

"No Jeff, it'll be fine. Look, the bleeding's stopped already-"

"But I don't want you to be hurt."

"I'm fine, Jeffy, I promise," said Nick, rubbing his boyfriend's hand reassuringly. He had just accidentally caught himself on something which had resulted in a small cut the back of his hand- it didn't hurt, but Jeff would always over react when it came to him. It was part of what made him so adorable.

"Aww, guuuuys! I'm trying to eat here but all I can taste is the sweetness you two radiate, can't you be cute later?" Wes groaned, pushing his sandwich away dramatically.

"I don't think it's something they can turn off.." answered David, rolling his eyes slightly as the couple made what the twins referred to as 'heart eyes' to eachother. They were completely loveable, but they only had a set amount of time for lunch, and Wes and David preferred to eat rather watch the lovesick couple. "Hey, isn't that Kurt?"

"Hmm? Oh yeah, Kurt! Come sit with us!"

The pale skinned boy looked up as his name was called, having been following Blaine a step behind so he only needed to follow his shoes. As he looked over, he recognized four of them from when they had watched Iron man and he was fairly sure most were in some of his classes, although he generally ignored most of the others for fears of unwanted harassment. He looked around curiously, searching for the other boy whom shared his name. But as he realized nobody was reacting, it slowly clicked that the group was calling him.

"Gee, thanks guys, I feel really welcomed," said Blaine, grinning as he subtly diverted the attention from the other boy, knowing he wouldn't want to be bombarded by his friends' comments and questions yet. "Look after our stuff? We need to go collect our food."

"Sure," the Asian replied as Blaine placed his bag on a spare chair. Kurt kept his bag on, he wasn't going to leave his things with people he didn't know, he'd probably get back and half the stuff would be missing. But maybe that was their plan, to get him to trust them before attacking him as soon as they saw a chance?

"Kurt, are you coming?"

Kurt turned to see Blaine looking back at him, his expression encouraging him to follow. With a small smile, Kurt followed him, gripping his bag tightly as he tried to figure out Blaine. He had barely known him a week, yet already, the other boy had opened up to him about his past and extended a hand of nothing but kindness. Never had Blaine commented on his poor sleeping habits which meant he hardly slept for fear of nightmares and never had he left his side except when Kurt had purposely hidden from him, such as lunch times when he was too scared of going into the hall. But now he was there, he realized he wasn't scared, because for once in his life, nobody had attacked him in days, and Blaine had promised to protect him. He knew he shouldn't, but he was beginning to really consider Blaine as a friend.

* * *

"Is that all you want?"

The two had just paid for their food, Blaine's plate filled with chips and almost all the unhealthy options whilst Kurt had picked up a small salad which consisted of only three tomatoes, a few cucumber slices, barely any lettuce and a light dressing. If Blaine was honest, he'd probably feed a rabbit more stuff than the boy had and wondered if Kurt usually ate like this. When he had first moved and heard about Mark, he had barely eaten for days and it was only due to Wes and David force feeding him he hadn't fainted from hunger.

Kurt gave a gentle nod of his head, glancing down at his food and looking surprised as if he didn't remember picking it up. Blaine made a mental note to try and get the other boy to eat some of his so the boy didn't starve himself.

"All I'm saying, is Teenage Dream is a real showstopper and I think we should really consider using it for sectionals."

"You mock me, sir!"

"David, although I agree it's good, I'm siding with Thaddeus on this, Teenage Dream simply isn't the right song."

"Hang on, do my ears deceive me, or did Wes and Thad just agree on something?" Blaine asked, joining the conversation and pulling out a chair for Kurt, not wanting him to feel excluded or nervous in case he took the wrong seat, which was impossible anyway as they didn't have set places to sit. Well, Wes might have a mental one, especially with his love for them that was only beaten by his gavel.

"Nope, actually I think we just witnessed an event that might be going down in the history books..." said Nick jokingly, although his eyes widened when Jeff brought out a thick book from his bag and flicking through the past achievements- why did he have that in his bag?

"Yeah...wow, I thought so," he closed the book loudly, "gentleman, well done, you've just recorded a new world record." The group burst out laughing, even Kurt cracking a tiny smile, he rather liked Jeff already.

"It's not that rare," said Wes, rolling his eyes even though he too was smiling.

"Sure it is," a slightly rounded boy grinned, "but what I want to know is why Jeff carries around a world record book in his bag."

"Ah Trent, you should know by now, never ask about why I have something. The reasons may scare you."

Trent's eyes widened in dramatic fear before joining in the laughter again. As Blaine side-glanced at Kurt, he was proud to see a seldom seen, real smile on his face, and internally celebrated.

Maybe Kurt was going to be okay.


	20. Making Plans

**Disclaimer: Again, I own nothing.**

* * *

Kurt sat alone in the library, head bent over his books as he struggled to absorb the knowledge. It was a difficult and strenuous activity, but Kurt needed to get higher grades than he did at McKinley as, at Dalton, they were expected of you. Cleverness was normal here and if he failed to achieve or only got the results he did at McKinley, he'd be frowned upon. And Kurt wasn't too desperate to get that kind of attention, if any.

And so, he was studying almost fruitlessly in the pastel toned room, bookshelves as tall as the ceiling forming walls between the tables. Although it was something he told himself he wouldn't do, he silently applauded the arrangement as, depending on where you sat, you were surrounded by books to do with that subject. Currently, Kurt sat in the history area, opting for the table by the Cold War books as it was the part of the syllabus his homework had been set on. 'To write a three page essay on the Truman Doctrine with a brief summary of The Marshall Plan', brilliant. It was one part of several pieces of homework he had received from each of his classes, excluded home economics of course. The teacher had told him his skills were already exceptional, they should be anyway, after all those years of catering for his dad since his mum died.

With a slight thud as the pages collided, Kurt closed his book and pushed it away- it was probably best he didn't think about his family. Not when he knew he wouldn't see them unless they came to visit him. It was too unsafe for him to return home with Karofsky still loose, so he just had to hope that Carole might occasionally send Finn up to see him. He may not be his biological brother, but he was the closest he was going to get, and the closest to real family he was going to see as he mum was buried in Lima and he didn't expect his dad to drive up to see him. Not after all the trouble he'd caused for his dad's heart when he found out what had been happening.

Sighing, Kurt placed his half finished paper into his bag, pulling out his French one instead. He liked French, it was easy for him as he was fluent in the language and it came easily to him. It was one of the many things he had to thank Coach Sue for. This homework was only a page long, asking him to write about his opinion on modern music in comparison to music from the 80's. This would be easy, he thought, thinking back to all the Journey medleys Mr. Schue had made them learn for glee and placing pen to paper, he could do this.

* * *

"Hey, isn't that Bambi over there? Is he still working?"

Theo and Fors snuck into the library, dodging the librarian as they made their way over to Kurt- what was he still doing here?

"Bambi? What are you doing?" Although Fors' voice was hushed, the other teen still jumped at the sound of it, whipping his head around to face the two whilst simultaneously pulling away and putting up his guard. When he saw who it was, his posture relaxed slightly, but didn't shift his body any closer. Quietly, he gestured to his work in explanation, testing his hand on it afterwards in case they decided to steal it. They may have helped him before, but Kurt couldn't be certain they'd be that generous again.

"Umm...Kurt? Have you not seen the time? Dinner's nearly over."

What? Kurt's eyes found the clock on the wall behind the front desk and was surprised to see it agreed with the pair. It was now half past six; he had entered the library at five minutes to three. He'd been in there for over three hours.

"How are you not hungry? You know, we could always make you something again...actually, after what happened last time, it would probably be best to head for the dining hall.."

"Anyway, do you want to come with us? You need to eat."

In truth, Kurt wasn't actually very hungry, despite his small lunch and breakfast; he tended to forget about normal eating patterns when he was working, it was a bad habit of his. He nodded in reply to Theo's (or Fors', he couldn't tell which) question and packed his work and book into his bag, he had finished a good quarter of his work- he would do the rest later.

"C'mon then, I heard it's chips today and if we're quick, we get extra portions from Harriet- she's our second aunt or something like that...I've never really been bothered to find out, as long as we get good food, what does it matter?"

The three boys entered the hall, the smell of freshly baked goods wafting their way and ensnaring their senses. The twins looked as if they were going to float over their by their noses like in cartoons when they first caught a whiff.

"Mmm.."

"Are you coming Kurt?"

'_I think I'll just have a salad if that's okay_,' wrote Kurt, gingerly holding up the paper for them to see.

"Of course it's fine, but only if you're sure. The chips here are heavenly," asked Theo and Kurt winced slightly at the thought of all the grease. However, he nodded and, after saying goodbye, walked over to the salad bar. He knew he probably should eat more to eat, after planning out his father's meals and lecturing him about having to eat something from each of the food groups, it was kind of hypocritical but he couldn't bring himself to eat anything else. He'd lost most of his appetite since Karofsky had first started hurting him and now wasn't sure if he could eat a decent meal without vomiting. He knew this meant he had won, but he'd lost the resilience for trying to fight it. It hurt him too much to pretend he wasn't breaking inside, and that was part of the reason he'd stopped eating, as well as feeling at the back of his mind that he wasn't good enough for the food. There were so many better people than him who deserved it more, even though many people had told him he was good enough for it. But it's often difficult to tell lies from truth.

As he picked up the fruits and vegetables, he snuck a look over to the table he had sat at earlier. Laughter was coming from Wes and David, both of them looking at the slightly larger boy who was grinning as well and looking at his chips- they were coated in tomato ketchup, the lid obviously have fallen off the bottle when he went to pour some out, resulting in the mess in front of him. Nick held a chip in his hand and was sweetly feeding Jeff, who leant his head on the other boy's shoulder, smiling. As Kurt looked around, he was surprised to see no looks of disgust on anyone's face as they looked at the couple, only one's of adoration. Really, they were insanely cute together, but Kurt couldn't help thinking there was something missing from the group. Slowly, it clicked as Kurt failed to spot the shiny, gelled curls of Blaine amidst the group- where was he? He bit his tongue gently as he realized just how odd he felt without him somewhere near. Blaine had stuck by his side all of the time since last week except for when Kurt disappeared and, through that time, they had bonded. He had made him feel safe, and now, he felt as if everyone was staring at him, even though at least half of the backs were turned. Swallowing the fear that had bubbled up, Kurt finished picking up his food and turned, meeting the twins eyes as he took the food to an empty table at the back of the hall, twisting himself into a place where he could see everyone, but making sure he himself was hidden behind a pillar.

* * *

About ten minutes later of sitting alone, Kurt's food had only been picked at, the majority of the salad staring defiantly back at him, challenging him to try and eat more. With a sigh, Kurt pushed the plate away, before reluctantly picking it up and tipping the remains into the bin. He rolled his eyes slightly as he did this- even the bins matched the colour scheme here. The boy placed his plate along with the other dirty ones and left the room, neglecting to see the pitying eyes from behind him of the boys he met earlier who were fighting their instincts to run after him. The only reason they didn't, was because of Wes noticing how the gremlins hadn't sat with him. The only reason they hadn't done that was because Kurt probably didn't want company, otherwise, Theo and Fors would be there- they were very protective once they had decided they liked someone.

As Kurt approached his dorm room, he was startled to hear loud music coming from it, a tenor voice he recognized to belong to Blaine singing along.

_"Oh, oobee doo_

_I wanna be like you_

_I wanna walk like you_

_Talk like you, too_

_You'll see it's true_

_An ape like me_

_Can learn to be human too"_

Kurt frowned outside the door, realising the other boy was singing The Jungle Book. Of course, Blaine had told him earlier he enjoyed Disney but he did admit to thinking that Blaine had been lying about that, but maybe he wasn't?

He waited outside the door, listening to the music as he debated whether to enter or not. On one hand, he didn't particularly want to go back downstairs as the library had closed early and so the only place he could go would be the Windsor common room- he wasn't too keen on going into the auditorium yet. However, on the other hand, if he entered, Blaine might get annoyed if he interrupted him. He seemed a nice guy, but hadn't he mentioned earlier that if anyone found out about his love for Disney they'd tease him? Kurt didn't want to risk this happening as he had grown attached to Blaine recently, getting used to having someone looking out for him. He didn't know if he could lose a friend again. Not after Mercedes, who he used to be able to tell absolutely anything, had ended their friendship.

Eventually, his train of thought was broken when the hazel eyed boy opened up the door, a towel wrapped around his head as he did so. Kurt realised that the other boy must have turned down his music before he did so.

"Kurt! I thought I heard someone but I wasn't sure if it was my imagination or the twins messing about. Did you forget your key? I'm sorry, I'm blocking the doorway, come in."

Blaine smiled warmly as he stepped aside for Kurt to enter, Kurt mentally thanking him for giving him an excuse for standing outside and nodded along. He looked up curiously to the rather alarming shade of blue that was wrapped around the boy's hair, a tiny curl escaping the towel at the front. Wait, Blaine's hair was curly? That would explain the gel, but curly? How hadn't he seen it before? Oh right, it was probably because he hadn't really looked long enough at Blaine to study his hair other than to note the gel.

"Yeah..." said Blaine, seeing Kurt's stare and giving a tiny grin, "it's curly..that's why I wasn't down for tea, I didn't want to gel it just after I got all of it out."

'_Then why not not gel it..?_' wrote Kurt, pulling his notebook out of his pocket and writing after receiving an encouraging nod from Blaine.

"Ah, that's..well... I guess I do it to blend in. Naturally, my hair is almost an afro, and you don't really blend in here if your hair's as bad as mine. Of course, nobody would say anything, but...well, after y'know...the dance, I just wanted to blend in. So I started gelling it to fit in and now. Well, without it, it feels like I'm going about half naked."

Wow, brilliant analogy Blaine. He quickly got rid of the completely undapper thoughts that sprung to mind about being half naked around Kurt. I mean, sure, they shared a dorm, but neither went around topless, each changed separately in the adjacent bathroom.

Instead of noticing the light blush on Blaine's cheeks, Kurt nodded, his foot tapping unconsciously to the beat of the song.

"Anyway so, if you don't mind me asking of course, are you not going home for the weekend?"

'_No_,' replied Kurt, '_I'd like to, but..no._'

"Oh, it doesn't matter, I never do," reassured Blaine, gently patting Kurt's shoulder in comfort. "Say, I was wondering, I was going to redecorate my side of the room and, well, would you like to help? It's just I'm awful at matching things and making it look half presentable."

Okay, if Blaine was honest, he didn't need any help rearranging it but he wanted Kurt's friendship, and it would be a great excuse to make sure Kurt wasn't alone this weekend and hopefully strengthen the friendship between the chestnut haired teen and his other friends. Plus, Blaine really had been intending to redo it and now was the perfect opportunity.

'_I- sure..if you want.._'

"Of course I do!" Blaine said excitedly, "are you any good at putting up photo hangers? I've got some we can put up tomorrow but I'm awful with a hammer."

Kurt smirked, thinking back to all the times he spent in the garage with his father, using the instrument on the cars before he stopped himself, recalling those memories with his father was off limits, remember? He wouldn't be able to see him for ages, so why bother thinking about it?

'_Sure_.'


	21. Decorating

**Disclaimer: If I owned Glee, do you really think I'd have let S4 happen?**

* * *

When Blaine woke the next day, he wasn't surprised to hear the now familiar sound of water running in their attached bathroom. He rolled over, forcing his eyes open and steadily pulled himself out of his sleepiness, spotting Kurt's already made bed. He sighed and stretched as he got up, looking at his watch as he headed out the dorm door: 7:30. Groaning, Blaine rubbed his eyes; he could have slept a lot longer than he had. The only reason he hadn't was because of Kurt's whimpers that would fill the room at night. It took all Blaine's mental strength not to wake the other boy, it was only because he knew Kurt hadn't been sleeping much lately that he didn't.

The cold morning air swept through his thin t-shirt and trackies as he entered the kitchen and he couldn't help but wish he had pulled on a sweater or his dressing gown before he left. Eyes still slowly adjusting to the light, Blaine eventually found the coffee machine and he thankfully started making his and Kurt's usual cups. Then he could begin to function properly.

As he opened the cupboard to pull out the sugar and cinnamon, he was surprised to see another boy shuffle in. Blaine checked his watch, wondering if it was somehow later than he first thought but the face only showed a difference of five minutes since he first checked.

"Oh hey Blaine," yawned Nick, refilling the coffee maker and reaching for two spare mugs, "you're up early."

"I could say the same to you," replied Blaine, eyeing the shark slippers on the teen's feet which he knew didn't belong to him. "What are you doing up? It's not past eleven yet."

"Don't remind me, mornings should be a crime. And Jeff's ill so me and Trent switched rooms for the night so I could look after him- don't tell Kane though, he'd probably think we were doing something else."

"Huh? Oh.. OH! Uh, no, I won't tell him- is Jeff alright?"

"Yeah, it was probably just some food he ate that didn't agree with him. Whatever it was, he's slept it off now."

"So...if that's true, why are you up so early then?"

"I wanted to make him breakfast," said Nick simply, because obviously that explained everything.

"It's seven thirty-eight."

"Yes.."

"On a weekend."

"Correct.."

"As in, you could have slept in a lot longer."

"Are you okay Blaine? Maybe you should drink some of your coffee, the early morning seems to have addled your brain."

"I'm fine, just- well you must be really devoted if you choose to wake up this early just to make him food. You've never woken up on a weekend before at least ten o'clock."

"What can I say? Jeff's perfect and, after last night, he probably won't want to get up and trek down to the cafeteria for breakfast. And you might like to actually drink your coffees before they get too cold."

"Oh yeah! Thanks, I'd better go then. Tell Jeff I said for him to get better soon?"

"Of course," came the reply as Blaine left with a smile and headed back upstairs to deliver the warm liquid to Kurt.

When Blaine entered his dorm, he wasn't surprised to hear the shower had stopped running; it was usual for Kurt to spend a large amount of time in the bathroom after he'd stopped washing. He was slightly taken aback, however, by the thin figure slumped on Kurt's bed, hair still damp from his wash.

Blaine paused- should he wake Kurt up? He looked so peaceful as he slept now, as if his nightmares weren't currently plaguing his dreams and the curly haired teen couldn't help but watch the gentle rise and fall of the other boy's chest before he realised what he was doing. He looked away quickly, depositing Kurt's coffee on his bedside table- seriously, he probably shouldn't start watching people as they sleep. He might turn into Edward Cullen.

Stretching, he tiredly finished the rest of his hot drink, loving the familiar sensation as the caffeine awoke him and filled him with a warm heat. He loved his coffee, especially in the mornings. Noticing Kurt was still sleeping (Ok, Blaine may have still been watching Kurt through the corner of his eye, but if you asked him, he'd deny it), Blaine gave a gentle smile, although he knew Kurt wouldn't see it, and placed a light blanket over the other boy before he eventually pulled himself towards the shower.

* * *

When Kurt woke up, he was surprised to find his clothes a lot tighter than his usual pyjamas, a thicker material as well. He rolled onto his side, facing the room and immediately cringed from the dampness that had spread onto his pillow and Kurt investigatively ran his hand through his hair, confused when it came back cold and wet.

Then, as he finally realised it was his day clothes he was lying in, it clicked. He had woken up earlier than usual this morning, the result of yet another nightmare about Karofsky- he hoped the police would find him soon, then maybe he could begin to rest easier and without always keeping one eye open. The boy had washed and changed, creeping about so as not to awake his roommate, but, through the absence of his usual coffee and lack of sleep, he had ended up taking an unwanted nap on his bed. It surprised him that he hadn't dreamt at all, or not that he could remember. It was the first time he hadn't dreamt about Karofsky and the attack, why he hadn't though, he didn't know.

Swinging his legs off the bed and pushing away the foreign blanket (where had that come from?), he spotted a familiar cardboard cup on his bedside drawers, filled with an enticing black liquid. He smiled, he couldn't help but like Blaine doing this, it convinced him more of their friendship. He hadn't had many of them in ages since Karofsky and found it hard not to be doubtful when he did. Tentatively, he reached up and took a small sip, surprised when he found it was still warm.

"Morning, sleepyhead," a voice grinned and Kurt whipped his head up, almost spilling his coffee, "oh! Sorry Kurt! I didn't mean to startle you- you didn't burn yourself, did you? Is it even still warm?"

Kurt replied with a comforting smile, forcing his body to relax- or at least look it. He found his notebook and pen in his drawer and timidly began to write, still not used to talking like this, '_I'm fine...how are you?_'

Blaine's grin, if possible, grew in size at this and Kurt knew he'd made the right choice in words, I'd he was honest, he was panicking in case Blaine read too deep into his question and thought he was prying even though it was near impossible to get that from the innocent reply.

"I'm good, I've only got two essays this week and barely and other homework- the teachers are being nice this week! Did you get much?" Blaine asked, making sure to add a follow up question. Now he had Kurt conversing with him, he wanted to try and get him to keep it up and earn more of his trust.

_'Only a bit. Just a lot of catch up work because...well...I've never really covered most of the things you have..._'

"Oh, yeah! I had that when I first came here, it's awful! Say, if you want any help with it, I'll happily lend a hand. I like to think I'm quite good at most subjects...although often what I like to think and reality are quite different..."

Looking up, Blaine was pleased to see the small smile still playing on Kurt's lips (not like Blaine was looking at them) and counted his offer a success.

"Anyway, um, breakfast isn't served until about 9:30 so..umm.. I'm sorry, I don't know where I'm going with this."

Before he realised what he was doing, Kurt smirked before slipping past Blaine to check his hair in the mirror. It was only when he was in there he understood what he had done and immediately his eyes widened. His heartbeat speeding up slightly although he managed to stop his breathing doing the same. Whilst Puck and Finn had been around, they had taught him some ways to calm himself and Kurt had learnt quickly, managing to take control of himself when he was losing it- either that, or it was that he recognized the signs really early now having it been almost a daily occurrence for ages. However, recently he hadn't had to use these newfound skills- he felt safer at Dalton than before, and, if you asked Blaine, there was definitely a difference in Kurt since when he first saw him.

"Kurt?" Blaine called from outside the door, too gentlemanly to enter even though it was wide open, "do you like scrambled eggs? I was going to go cook some in the kitchen."

Kurt froze, thinking. At first, he couldn't help wondering if it was an excuse to get him alone before he remembered they'd shared a room for over a week- Blaine could easily have hurt him in that time but he didn't, he had only offered kindness and support. Although he was unused to this sort of treatment, Kurt still felt a wave of embarrassment from expecting pain.

Timidly, Kurt nodded in reply. His father had told him he should have faith in others still, whilst it was difficult, Kurt had promised he would try. Having breakfast with Blaine was Kurt's way of testing him; he would be safe- he could easily get away if Blaine tried anything and they were in an open area. That already lowered the chances of him getting hurt- he should use the opportunity to try and be certain Blaine's intentions were just to get him as a friend and nor be his future bully. And so, he did.

* * *

When Kurt finally entered the kitchen (Blaine was already in there, having left to start cooking once Kurt had agreed), he was greeted by the warm smell of eggs, wafting out of the door and enticing him in. Making sure to leave the door wide open, Kurt entered and marvelled to see the room hadn't been destroyed- he had thought nobody in Windsor could cook, besides him of course.

"You can stop looking so cautious at any moment y'know," smiled Blaine although his back was still turned to Kurt, hovering over the stove. "I'm not going to hurt you and I doubt anyone else is up. Not that they'd want to hurt you either," he added hurriedly, turning around to see Kurt's face and decipher if he was panicking. He wasn't.

Instead, Kurt gave a tiny smile, half genuine, half faked: '_I know_.' He crossed his fingers discreetly behind him as he held up the notebook in the other.

Blaine smiled knowingly again in response; of course Kurt didn't know, he himself had been beaten up before and still sometimes struggled to realise nobody wanted to hurt him at Dalton. However, that was why he stayed at this school, he was still too afraid to even attempt to conquer high school again and of Kurt managed to feel safe already, he was either extremely trusting, although his movements didn't agree with that theory, or he was lying. Yet Blaine could see that if Kurt was lying, it was well reasoned. So instead he changed the subject.

* * *

An hour or so later, both boys were back up in their room, each staring at Blaine's wall. Blaine wore a determined look of intent whilst Kurt's was softer, appearing to some as if he didn't care but inside, Kurt was scrutinizing the decoration, mentally producing the perfect plan whilst also just planning to follow what Blaine was doing. It'd be easier if he avoided overuse of his opinion as it was sure to annoy Blaine eventually; he'd invited him to help, not take over. As if Kurt had the courage to do that anyway.

"So are you still ready for this? It's fine if you want to study or something instead?"

Kurt shook his head, taking a deliberate step forward and matching Blaine's decided look to show he was ready.

"Great! Well..um, I was thinking I wanted to put these up," he told Kurt, pulling out three matching canvases, each a shade of dark red with quotes on- 'I intend to live forever, so far, so good' (Steven Wright), 'In three words I can sum up everything I've learnt about life: it goes on' (Robert Frost) and 'life must be lived as play' (Plato). In another hand, he held an ebony framed poster of Wicked. Casually, Blaine picked up the poster, looking at it and cocking his head as if he was thinking. He wasn't going to pretend he hadn't seen the way Kurt's eyes had lit up when he saw it. Blaine flipped the poster over in his hands, considering his plan before deciding just to go for it.

"Y'know.. I was just thinking, if I put all of this stuff up, it'll probably just look extremely overcrowded and that, in my opinion, is worse than it being underdressed. Say, I don't suppose..Well... Kurt, would you like it? It's new, and it'd most likely just end up going to Trent if not. That's what usually happens, but if you want it, I'd be pleased to give it to you?"

Kurt looked at Blaine, waiting for the catch and automatically questioning Blaine's intentions- why give it to him? He was a nobody and nobody's generally didn't get stuff like this handed to them for free.

"Please? You'd be doing me a massive favour..?" Blaine congratulated himself in his head, when trying to- he refused to call it manipulating- someone, it was often best to make it out as they were doing you the favour.

'_A-are you sure? I don't want you to damage your friendship with Trent_..' wrote Kurt.

Well that was easier than Blaine expected, "hey, what he doesn't know can't hurt him, besides, I like to think he's using me for more than the posters. My good looks being one," he joked, a wide grin spreading on his face as he held out the poster.

'_Thankyou..thanks_,' the porcelain boy wasn't used to people being nice and felt slightly overwhelmed by the kindness.

"Anytime! Now, about those canvases...could you possibly help with the hammer? The last time I handled one I kinda might have gave myself a black eye.."

"It was the twins' fault!" He added hurriedly as he saw a slight smirk appear on his roommate's face, "ssh!"

'_Didn't say anything.. remember?_' Kurt wrote, pointing to the paper as if to prove his point.

"Oh my gosh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to-" he stopped as he saw Kurt grinning, "hey!"

Kurt merely smiled wider and picked up the hammer and a few screws. This should be interesting.


	22. Illness and Worries

**Disclaimer: I don't own glee**

**Also THANKYOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR KIND WORDS! Gah, I can't put into words how much they made me smile- I love you guys!**

* * *

It was 11:50 and lunchtime was approaching. The two boys were sat on Kurt's bed, Blaine making sure to disturb as little as possible and not intrude on the other boy's personal space. The only thing that connected them was their interlocking hands and the quiet music Blaine played as they sat there- Kurt recognised it easily as belonging to Disney's Hercules. Kurt wasn't a hundred percent sure how they had got into the hand holding position, but remarkably, he found he didn't really mind it. Sure, he wouldn't consider Blaine as a best friend, they'd only met eachother the other week or so, but he definitely didn't consider him a threat. Had he done so, he would've moved rooms the day they'd met, even if that meant him having to sleep on the floor outside. To him, Blaine was a friend. Not one he'd go out of his way to go on shopping trips, he barely did that anymore anyway, but one who he knew would always be there and, dare he say it, rely on.

"So.. I think my wall now looks a lot better, has anyone ever told you that you should consider going into interior design?"

Kurt blushed lightly, following Blaine's gaze up at the wall. After silently checking with Blaine whether it was alright, Kurt had managed to change the curtains to ones of a deep burgundy that brought out the highlights on the canvases, complimenting them perfectly. Although the risque blue ones had been cleverly pulled off, the bright shade clashed with the pictures horribly. The room now had a more organised, yet creative feel from the odd mementos and bit and pieces Blaine had stuck to his- their, Kurt corrected himself- bookshelf. Even Kurt had to admit it looked good.

'_Thankyou_,' wrote Kurt, giving a small smile at the compliment which increased as Blaine reciprocated it back.

"No thankyou, it'd probably look awful without your help. Did I ever tell you about that time Wes trusted me to paint his room whilst he was away? He'd already picked out the colours of course, I just didn't agree with them. Instead, I painted them a mixture of mustard yellow and what I thought was a nice shade of green."

Kurt winced as he pictured the combination.

"Yeah," laughed Blaine, "that was his reaction too, I don't think he really appreciated it though because he's never trusted me since."

Suddenly, there was a sharp knock at their door and a tall, dark haired figure burst in, not even asking if he could enter, desperation clearly in his voice as he called out for Blaine. Immediately, Kurt leapt to his feet, disentangling his and Blaine's hand in an instant and looking like a deer caught in the headlights. Seeing Kurt begin to panic, Blaine copied Kurt's movement and stood up to, wordlessly positioning his body so he was ever so slightly in front of Kurt, somewhat hiding Kurt who thankfully moved behind him, managing to control his breathing. Nick, looked up at them with sad eyes, too distressed to notice the miniscule movements between the boys and barely registering that they had both stood up.

"Blaine! Crap, Blaine it's- it's Jeff. I told you how he was ill? He's now- I think he's got a fever but anyway, he just- he just fainted! Please, you've got to help me get him to the nurse, he's awake now so he can walk but I don't want to risk him fainting on the way down there. Wes, Trent and David are all out and the twins found a new passageway into town so they could escape their grounding, I- I didn't know who else to go to. Please?"

"Whoa, Nick. Slow down, of course I'll help, where is he?"

"In his room, I managed to get him onto the bed, but.."

"Okay, you need to stay calm." Blaine said bluntly, still managing to comfort him at the same time, "do you want to go back to Jeff and make sure he doesn't hurt himself? I'll be over in a minute, just keep an eye on him."

"Yeah, sure," said Nick before rushing back out the door to his boyfriend.

Once the teenager had left, Blaine turned back around to face Kurt who had slumped down onto the bed as the door shut. Considering whether it would be a good idea to take Kurt's hands into his again, Blaine knelt down in front of the other boy, looking up into Kurt's eyes.

"Kurt?" The said boy was pulled out of his trance and stared back at Blaine as if only noticing now he was looking at him, "will you be okay if I go? I mean, you can come along, it's just that the Nurse might try and give you a check up after the other day and I don't want you to be pressured into anything."

Kurt looked at Blaine, wondering why he hadn't left yet- Jeff was one of his best friends, what did he have other him?

"Kurt?"

The boy nodded, half automatically. Sure he'd be okay, he'd been okay during his last week at McKinley, at least he'd survived it and he doubted anything Dalton could throw at him would be much worse. He'd be okay.

"Okay, just- just be careful. I'll be back soon, not that I mean you need to stay here. I don't mind, it's not like I'm going to or can tell you what to do. I-"

Kurt gave a small smile at Blaine's rambling and nodded towards the door.

"Right. Yes, Jeff. Ok. Umm, see you later? And again, thankyou for helping with the room- I owe you one."

And with that, Blaine disappeared out the door, leaving Kurt reeling slightly in the knowledge that maybe, somebody cared.

* * *

After Blaine left, Kurt had fallen into a deep stream of thought, reconsidering what his initial thoughts of Blaine and only resurfacing to reality when his stomach growled loudly. He rolled his eyes slightly before gingerly peering out his door, finding the corridor empty. Kurt couldn't help the uncomfortable feeling though at the back of his mind- maybe he should wait until Blaine got back. He was so used now, especially from the past week, of having the boy by his side and just having the knowledge that Blaine might even stop him getting hurt, had given him the courage to open up to him a bit. Of course, Blaine could just be being friendly so he had the benefit of surprise when he did attack him, but sometimes you had to take risks. And, although it may be unwise, Kurt had taken one by trusting Blaine. But sometimes risks payed off.

Biting his bottom lip, Kurt nervously left the room and hurriedly made his way downstairs towards the cafeteria, hoping to grab a salad or sandwich. The pressure on his lip increased when he reached the bottom Windsor corridor, although with the day students gone and most boarders away, there were still a few people scattered about. Most stood in small groups, only the odd few not but each of them playing on phones or, in one case, head bent over a thick book, probably trying to cram in some facts before some sort of exam. Unconsciously, Kurt moved to opposite sides of the corridor as he walked past the people, head bowed and looking at the floor. He hated walking past the group's especially, unable to convince himself that they weren't all staring at him.

Kurt stared harder at the floor, trying to ignore the imaginary glares and pulled his arms across his chest, as if to protect himself from the looks. He was concentrating so much on the floor, Kurt didn't notice the approaching person until they walked into him, nearly dropping their phone on the floor.

"Shoot! Sorry mate, didn't see ya there. I'm tryna' find someone," the tall teen said, looking down at Kurt who instantly took a step back, wanting to flee. The male had obviously dyed black hair although, as far as Kurt could tell on a glance, it didn't come from a bottle. Decorating the tips of the spikes were a violent shade of pink and Kurt wondered how he could possibly get away with it with the school uniform rules especially with the masses of eyeliner and eyeshadow. However, Kurt had to admit, he pulled it off well.

"I'm Connor and, since you look kinda sane, I'm guessing you're Kurt. Heard a lot about you- all good stuff of course. Anyway, if you're sure you're okay, I need to go find Mikey, he's run off and he promised me something when I find him."

Kurt's eyes widened slightly, mind immediately wandering.

"Cookies, Kurt!" Connor giggled and Kurt pulled away even more, afraid the punk looking boy might be offended and strike out. The porcelain boy lost it when the teen moved forward to give him a clap on the shoulder, the raised hand bringing back too many memories and Kurt ran past him, leaving Connor wondering what the heck had just happened.

Under a minute later, Kurt had escaped to the gardens, slowing his pace as he once again wrapped his arms around his torso, eyes now looking up though his lashes and darting about. All he wanted to do was get some food and then curl up on his bed whilst playing his iPod- unfortunately, that wasn't going to happen today.

* * *

It was a struggle to get Jeff to the infirmary, Blaine wasn't going to lie. Nick and Blaine had nearly had to resort to carrying the boy when he fainted again, just managing to to rest him on the floor before he fell fully unconscious; Blaine had already phoned ahead to the nurse to inform her of had happened and the golf cart was waiting outside the Windsor building to collect them as usual procedure.

"Come on, Jeffy please! Wake up! Wait, Jeffy? Jeff? Are you okay, can you hear me?"

Jeff gave a low groan, moving to sit up from his position on the floor.

"Hang on, Jeff, not so fast," said Blaine, kneeling next to Nick and helping him to prop Jeff against the wall. "We don't want you fainting again."

Suddenly, the blonde teen let out a pained cry and Nick looked despairingly at Blaine, close to tears at seeing his boyfriend in this state.

"Jeff? What's the matter?" Blaine asked, taking charge again after giving Nick a comforting smile.

"My head it- it's on fire! Nicky- Nicky make it stop, please, it hurts!" Jeff begged, matching tears falling from both his and Nick's eyes.

"Okay Jeffy, I will, you'll be okay," said Nick, his voice cracking ad he helplessly picked up Jeff's hands, giving them a squeeze, "you'll be okay."

Whether he said that to comfort himself or Jeff, Blaine wasn't sure.

Eventually, Jeff was ready to try walking again, the pain making him more determined to get to the nurse so the fire in his head could be put out. To all the boys' relief, Jeff luckily didn't faint again and they were able to sit Jeff down in the elevator without a reaccurance of the previous actions. Sure enough, the golf buggy was parked by the entrance which was only a few feet away and Blaine and Nick pulled the other boy over to it, piling him onto the seats whilst Nick took a seat next to him, lightly wrapping his arms around him so he couldn't fall off. Blaine meanwhile, stood on standby watching, having decided not to go so he could get back to Kurt. He waved goodbye to the disappearing boys, the driver going at a comfortable pace so as not to jolt them, before he headed back inside, taking a quick glance at his watch as he did so, feeling surprised as he realized just how long he had been gone.

* * *

During the time it took Blaine to do this, Kurt had somehow managed to find himself in trouble, his technique of hiding his head as he walked obviously being useless, either that, or the three boys had been keeping an eye out for him, knowing he'd have to get food at some time.

"Well if it isn't our favourite mute- hello Kurt." To some, this short greeting could sound friendly but, coming from the muscled boy in front of him Kurt recognized to be Harrison, it sounded the complete opposite, especially with the sarcasm dripping from each word.

"What- don't you like me?" He asked, taking a step forward into Kurt's personal space intimidatingly, "pity."

If it was possible, Kurt shrunk in on himself even more, pulling his sleeves over his hands and staring intently at the floor, ignoring the bubble rising in his throat.

"I mean, I'd be offended if I didn't know where you came from."

Kurt froze, almost looking up in shock as tears pricked his eyes, how did he know? And why the neck did the bullies have to follow him everywhere? It wasn't fair- couldn't he have a life without being constantly on edge or was that too much to ask? He bit his lip instead, shaking his head as he tried to walk away hoping- praying- that someone would come and help him. He wanted Puck, or Finn, or his dad. He wanted Blaine.

"Leaving already? In fact, maybe you should just pack your bags and go. You don't belong here- your father's a mechanic who probably earns as much in a year as I get pocket money in a week. Face it, you're never going to fit in."

Tears were now beginning to pour openly down his cheeks and Kurt hastily wiped them away with the back of his hand, pushing past the two boys who accompanied Harrison who had formed a human barrier in front of him.

"Ruuude!" He heard the prefect call after him before he disappeared around the corner, almost falling through the door that led to the girls toilets that he had grown to know so well. Although it was the weekend, Kurt was sure it'd be empty as usual and he was correct. He breathed out a sigh of relief before shutting himself into a stall, allowing the tears to fall freely.


	23. No

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognise. The song in this chapter is Somewhere Over the Rainbow! :)**

* * *

When Blaine returned to his room after dropping Jeff off at the buggy, he wasn't surprised to find that Kurt wasn't there- it was lunch time after all. Thirty minutes later, he was starting to get anxious but guessed Kurt must have just decided to eat in the dining hall. Blaine chose to grab a slice of cold pizza out of the mini fridge he had recently stored in their dorm. After an hour of getting back, Blaine had begun to pace the floor in impatience and worry- where was Kurt? Exactly thirty minutes after that- Blaine had counted the last few minutes in seconds as he had stared at the clock- he couldn't shift the feeling that something bad had happened and left the room in search of Kurt.

* * *

Meanwhile, Kurt sat on a toilet lid in the empty bathroom, arms wrapped around his legs although, by now, he had ran out of years to cry, and simply had the damp tracks on his face and red eyes to show he'd been crying. His legs were beginning to get cramp from the position he held them in and he finally gave into temptation, stretching them out and standing up. Although by now he was used to be alone, the boy longed for the warm feeling of someone beside him to tell him it was going to be alright.

But was it?

Kurt stifled a low sob as he undid the door to his cubicle, already missing the security of the small room, even if the room he was currently in housed that space and nobody would come in. He slowly dragged himself over to the mirror, taking in his poor appearance and the paler than usual skin and winced at the sound of his stomach growling. But although he was hungry, he knew if he tried to swallow anything it would come straight back up. He recognized the feeling from before, although after the Karofsky incidents, it had been much worse and he had spent whole hours dry heaving over a toilet bowl. At McKinley, the girls' bathrooms had always allowed him an escape and provided almost happy memories of him and his now ex-friends' chats and friendly meet ups- but after Karofsky, it also served a reminder of the bile rising up and spilling into the toilet.

He sighed as he turned a tap in front of him, allowing the cool water to run over his hands before splashing his face in the pristine sink. Wipe away the evidence. Wipe away the hurt. And maybe, he could wipe away his past and vulnerability as well. But there was little chance of that- they'd stay with him forever. He was broken; not speaking, barely eating. From Harrison's and the other bullies' point of view, they'd won, they'd triumphed. He had been reduced to nothing and that's exactly what they had wanted and Kurt had let them, or so his mind taunted him. Nobody would ever want someone as damaged as him.

"No."

* * *

It was about three quarters of an hour since Kurt had uttered that word when he had finally dared leaves the safety of the room and go back to his room, peering around the corners for Harrison before he did so though. The shock he felt towards himself had sparked new emotions and he had spent most of the time figuring them out, the rest being spent either hyperventilating as his mind created hauntingly realistic scenarios about Karofsky hunting him down.

_"Say anything and I'll kill you," he had said as the older boy had held the knife against his throat, "I'll fucking kill you."_

Well now Kurt had and the paranoia and fear had instantly filled him, making his body and mind shake uncontrollably. Logically, he knew Karofsky had no way of knowing what he had done but unfortunately, the instability of him mind took other and he, at first, expected the bully to enter the room at any given moment, ready to plunge a fatal blow from his knife into him and end it all there and then like he'd said he'd do. However, after this new fear had subsided, a new feeling Kurt almost didn't recognize joined him. Strength.

The strength that maybe, he was getting stronger. The strength that he didn't have to give up fighting. The strength that filled him and gave him confidence- if this was a battle, maybe, just maybe, he had a chance at winning.

"Kurt! I mean umm, hey! Jeff's down in the nurse's office now...I was looking for you," greeted a smiling Blaine, eyes lit up in a way that reminded Kurt of a puppy as he looked up at him. "You okay? You disappeared for a while."

Hurriedly, Kurt gave a nod, forcing himself not to put his walls up- Blaine was his friend. He pulled out his notebook- '_what time is it?_'

"Nearly two o'clock," Blaine's stomach growled loudly at this and Blaine gave a small smile, "have you had lunch yet?"

Kurt nodded in reply, biting his lip nervously at the lie.

"Snap! Guess I'm still hungry though- oh well. Anyway, umm... do you want to go outside? It's getting quite sunny."

_'I have homework to do_..' wrote Kurt, frowning as he showed Blaine the writing.

"Oh. Ok."

Inside, Kurt fought a mental battle as the other boy's face fell slightly. In the end, he took a deep breath and asked- almost his way of proving to himself he was making progress. '_But...umm, you could come to? It's just some parts of science I don't really get.'_

Kurt almost swore he saw even Blaine's hair light up at this, "of course! I mean, if you're sure, I'd love to. Which bit don't you get?"

'_Balancing equations?_' Kurt wrote, although if he was honest, he already knew this part easily but he was afraid he'd appear stupid if he admitted to not understanding something he really didn't know. This would be a test for Blaine: if he laughed at him, Kurt would avoid him from then on, if he didn't...well, Blaine might honestly want to be his friend too.

* * *

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Blaine and Kurt, the twins stood below them, listening to their conversation through the ceiling, or in Kurt and Blaine's case, the floor. They were standing in a freshly discovered corridor, hidden below the school and unknown to all the students and teachers with the exception of them. Like the others, the tunnels had been carved into the rock centuries ago, possibly once a hiding place for gold or thieves- the possibilities were just one of the things that attracted Theo and Fors who were now exchanging gleeful looks.

"Yes! Aww, our Bambi, do you think he might be getting better?" One of them asked the other, probably Fors.

"I hope so, I like him. He deserves to be happy- I mean, he doesn't look like a murderer or anything."

"Yeah, and if Blaine helps him.. Well.."

"Fors...No."

"But-"

"No."

"Aww, c'mon!"

"No."

"Fiiiine," whined Fors, unable to go against his brother. "But we're upping the game on mission wevid."

"Do you need to even ask?" Fors just grinned in answer, "anyway," said Theo when they approached their exit, "see anything?"

Fors gave a searching look at the monitor he held in his hand, they had devised it years ago and it's sole purpose was to look into rooms near them and find out if there were any teachers in them. It had saved them from getting caught many a time and it was often used when trying to go through the exits and entrances to the catacombs so nobody else knew of them. It wasn't just that the twins didn't want to share them, but it was also the high risk of teachers blocking the entrances or people getting lost in them. It was very easy after all.

"Nope," grinned Fors.

"Right, in that case, do you want to go first or shall I?"

"You can, I've got the monitor so I can call up to you if there are any teachers coming."

"Ok, see you at the top then," said Theo, gripping the rope that they kept dangling down from the exit. Quickly, he gave it a quick look to get the length although he already knew it from past experience before scaling it, reaching the top in a matter of seconds. "Okay," he called down, his voice a loud whisper whilst his breathing was normal having been climbing ropes regularly so he never got stuck underground. His brother and him usually went to the gym so they could keep their muscles up, it was something they had learnt from their brother as well as a few escaping tricks, always good when trying to get through particularly small gaps. "Okay, anyone up there?"

"Nope, all clear."

"Right," said Theo, grimacing as he removed a hand from the rope and pushed open the window seat's bottom, letting it fall back using the hinges as he pulled himself up, collapsing on the floor next to it. "Your turn."

Under a minute later, Fors had joined him by his side after shutting the seat down and getting rid of any evidence.

"We really need to get a rope ladder for that thing."

* * *

Blaine and Kurt sat together in their room, the large wooden desk in front of were they sat. They had decided on sitting in there because Blaine had thought there'd be less chance of them being disturbed- plus he couldn't get enough of the new colour scheme. Both of their purple chemistry books lay open in front of them, Kurt's catch up work resting lightly on top.

"So balancing equations is pretty much getting the same amount of each atom on each side, so if you had two carbon atoms on one side yet two on the other, it wouldn't be balanced. You'd want to put a two in front of the single carbon atom and then it'd be right. You with me?"

Kurt nodded, smiling slightly as Blaine ran a hand through his hair- or more, because of the gel, over it. The pale boy could see the younger teen was nervous too.

"Okay, umm, in that case, do you want to have a go at your sheet? I can go over it again if it helps..?"

Kurt shook his head, smiling politely- '_no, it's fine. Thankyou_.'

"No problem."

After Kurt had finished the first few equations, he picked up his sheet, checking his work before holding it up to Blaine, silently asking if he could make sure he was doing it right. The hazel eyes scanned the paper, a broad smile on his face as he handed it back- "all right! That's awesome, well done!"

Kurt smiled, pulling out a spare sheet of paper, '_thanks_.'

"Anytime! Anyway, I guess I should let you get on with it then. I'll be over by my bed if you get stuck. If that's okay with you of course," he added hurriedly.

'_It's fine_,' wrote Kurt, showing Blaine the paper, '_I think I've got it now anyway.'_

"Okay," said Blaine, standing up and heading towards his bed, picking up his acoustic as he went: it needed a tuning.

Gently, he began to pluck each string, continuing until the notes sounded right and a melody was formed. He was so lost in his own world he didn't realize Kurt had turned around to watch until he looked up.

"Oh..um, I'm sorry," he apologized quickly, "I'm disturbing you, aren't I? Sorry, I'll stop," Blaine put the guitar down by his feet, blushing slightly at having fallen so deep into the music.

'_No, it's nice- it's good_.' Kurt wrote, biting his lip out of habit as he held up the paper, '_you play?_'

"Yeah, self taught," grinned Blaine.

'_That's...wow, well done!_'

"Thanks."

Kurt smiled before turning back around to his work, making sure to do this before the situation got awkward. Before he knew it, the upbeat melody Blaine had been playing was accompanied with lyrics Kurt recognized easily from the many times he had rewatched the musical on DVD.

_Somewhere over the rainbow_

_Way up high_

_There's a land that I dreamed of_

_Once in a lullaby..._

Kurt smiled and realized he was tapping his foot along to the beat. He turned around, watching Blaine's fingers dance over the frets as his face lit up at the music.

_Somewhere over the rainbow_

_Skies are blue_

_And the dreams that you dare to dream_

_Really do come true..._

_Oh, Someday I'll wish upon a star_

_And wake up where the clouds are_

_Far behind me..._

_Where troubles melt like lemon drops_

_High above the chimney tops_

_That's where you'll find me..._

The only difference to the original musical song was the tune, but Kurt had to admit it suited Blaine well.

_Oh, somewhere over the rainbow_

_Bluebirds fly_

_Birds fly over the rainbow_

_Why, then, oh, why can't I...?_


	24. I Wanna Hold Your Hand

**Disclaimer: I own nothing unless I've suddenly turned into Ryan Murphy since the time I last looked in a mirror. And if you don't recognise the song, I highly suggest you search up Chris Colfer's cover of I Wanna Hold Your Hand by The Beatles. **

* * *

It had been nearly a month since Kurt had uttered his first words and yet he hadn't said anything since, although he had managed to open himself up a lot more, especially to Blaine. The pair were now virtually inseparable, even more so than Theo and Fors, and it was clear to everyone. Harrison hadn't said anything to Kurt after the incident before, possibly because he was too much of a coward to say anything with Blaine around, but had resorted to instead shooting Kurt spiteful looks which Kurt chose to ignore. If he could deal with the bullying back at McKinley, he could deal with a few childish faces getting pulled at him.

Kurt sat in the dining hall, joining Blaine and his friends but the dark haired teenager making sure he sat on the edge so he didn't feel pressurised. It had recently become habit for the pair to do this ever since Blaine had managed to convince Kurt to sit with them again. Trent and David were holding an open (and loud) debate about which superhero was best, the topic seeming to have continued from their last lesson.

"I'm sorry, but at least Iron Man doesn't rely on some superpower for what he does- he'd still be doing what he'd be doing if everyone lost them."

"Excuse you but at least Aquaman doesn't need to use money unlike yours," sassed Trent, earning a high five from Thad who was an avid Aquaman supporter.

"Plus, I mean how many people can talk to sea mammals?"

"Erm, Poseidon, Dr. Who, Percy Jackson, Neptune"

"Poseidon and Neptune are the same person," cut in Thad, rolling his eyes.

"Is not."

"Is too."

"Actually, you could claim he's both."

"Of course you'd say that, Wesley," said Thad, getting shot a glare from the said boy.

"Besides, both of you are wrong on the account of who's the best- Batman is the clear winner."

And so the debate went on, David adding in his opinions and acting almost like a devil's advocate in the argument. Meanwhile, Kurt picked at his food, smiling every now and then when one of the boys made a rather funny defence-

"But Batman has abs!"

"And you claim to be straight, Wes.."

Out of the corner of his eye, Blaine watched him, noting the shy smiles and felt a wave of pleasure as he realized just how much Kurt had changed recently. He was using his notebook a lot more and Blaine was thinking of buying him a new, bigger one soon- the current one was nearly full already as it had only started with around 100 pages anyway.

He bit his tongue slightly as he saw Kurt push away his food, having eaten barely any of the salad. He knew it wasn't good for the already skinny boy to be eating like this as he could get ill very quickly but on the other hand, he didn't want to force him to eat in case he lost his trust. It was certainly a difficult situation for Blaine who, in the end, decided to take a gentle approach and simply hope for the best outcome.

"Hey Kurt?"

The said teen looked up, smiling as his cerulean eyes met the hazel and he was brought away from listening to the debate where Trent was now vividly describing everything that made Aquaman great.

"Aren't you going to eat that?" Blaine asked, nodding slightly to the plate.

Kurt blushed and pulled it back, gingerly picking up the fork and using it to stab dishearteningly at a tomato.

"No, I didn't mean you had to," said Blaine quickly as Kurt's face fell. "Just, eating salad all the time can't be healthy- I could always get you something else if you want me too?"

The triangular eyebrows furrowed when Kurt shook his head violently, "Kurt?"

The said boy bit his lip, being none to gentle and stared at Blaine with wide eyes.

"Kurt? It's okay," smiled Blaine, taking the porcelain boy's hand in his reassuringly, "you don't have to, just... Well, just try not to eat salad all the time- you could get ill and where'd I be without my best friend?"

That made Kurt stop.

Blaine considered him his best friend? Of course, the feeling was mutual but still...Kurt had always thought Blaine put up with him because they were roommates. All the signs were there that Blaine thought of him as a friend, Kurt just didn't want to get his hopes up to find he was wrong. He didn't think he had the self confidence for that. No. He knew he didn't.

Kurt dipped his head, hiding his face which was a picture of diffident, and frowned upon his food. It wasn't that he simply wasn't hungry as he would so frequently tell himself, his stomach would object to that, it was more that he was scared to eat.

"_Get any fatter and nobody will want you_," a voice would whisper in his head, "_not even Dave will want to touch you._"

Kurt gave a involuntary shiver but still somehow managed to send Blaine a small smile. He picked up a small piece of cucumber, chewing it meaningfully whilst keeping eye contact with Blaine who rewarded him with a low chuckle.

"Are you sure I can't convince you to eat anything else?" Blaine asked, grinning as he picked up one of his chips and waved it temptingly in front of Kurt.

Kurt rolled his eyes, turning his back to Blaine whilst his smile grew wider at the boy's antics.

"Pleeease?"

Kurt turned back around, unable to ignore Blaine, but for once, not because of fear. Honestly, Kurt wasn't sure what made him turn around but the boy's face was good enough reason why. The puppy eyes he was receiving could melt even the coldest of hearts. He frowned but, as Blaine expected, gave in, reaching out for the food and, with another roll of his eyes, swallowed it.

"See?! They taste nice, right? Soo...would you like anymore?"

The porcelain teen shook his head, answering in the negative, and frowned when he saw Blaine's face fall. Hurriedly, he took his pen into his hand, '_maybe tomorrow, though?_'

The light in the other boy's eyes relit.

"Yo, Blaine!"

The group's conversation paused as each of them looked up to find the owner of the voice, Kurt drawing back immediately as he recognized who it was: Connor. Hurriedly, he ducked his head, hoping the older boy hadn't recognized him.

"Hey Conner- what are you doing here? Looking for Mikey?"

"Nah, he's off cramming for his test next lesson- he didn't get much time last night," the boy grinned, winking.

"I was actually looking for you, Sir wants ya."

"Which one?"

"Ratface."

"Connor!" Wes exclaimed loudly, though used to the confident boy, he hated when he disrespected the teachers.

"Fine, Wesley. Mr. Odaire- happy?"

"Yes."

Connor rolled his eyes, turning back to Blaine, "well? You comin'?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I guess so," he said after silently asking Kurt if he'd be alright on by himself to which Kurt had given a minute nod.

"'Kay. See ya later guys."

"See you."

From his seat, Kurt watched as the pair disappeared around the corner. Mentally, he marvelled at how Connor managed to get away with wearing the level of makeup he wore and his 'rendition' of school uniform. The said boy's eyes were each defined by thick, black eyeliner and his hair was mussed up with gel to give it a messy- but good messy- look. On his feet, he wore a pair of dark converse with equally dark skinny jeans stretching out from them, covering his legs although they weren't as tight as what Kurt used to wear. It certainly was different to what normal uniform regulations would allow, little did he know, however, how hard it had been for the teachers to make the boy wear his blazer. When it came to rules about his clothes and appearance, Connor was never one to conform.

"Hey Kurt? Kuuuurtie?!"

The said teen looked up from his thoughts and was met by Jeff smiling down at him. Unconsciously, he pulled away, thankful when the blond didn't mention it.

"Me and Nick were wondering if you wanted to hang around with us for a bit?" Ok, so really Jeff just didn't want to leave Kurt alone without his other half.

Kurt shook his head, scrawling something down on his paper- '_I've got work I need to do. That's for the offer though.'_

"Anytime," replied Jeff, "if you get bored though, just give us a shout."

* * *

Kurt didn't know how long he'd been wondering around the halls of Dalton. In reality, he guessed he should have been more jumpy than he was, but he wasn't. He'd walked these corridors so many times with Blaine, it didn't seem as intimidating any more as he could always imagine the boy beside him if he panicked.

At first, Kurt had attempted to study, but he was too fidgety and knew before he had sat down his efforts would be in vain, but, nevertheless, he had tried. And proved himself correct. The words had danced on the paper and refused for his brain to process them and eventually the teen had just given up and left for a walk to clear his mind.

That had been ages ago and the clock on his cheap phone told him it had been at least an hour, most likely more as he had no clue of the time when he first set out meandering the halls. Now, he found himself standing outside a familiar metal door, the chipped paint peeling more than Kurt had remembered. Unlike the corridors above him, it there was now a silence around him. Not a heavy silence though, a light, comfortable one which the teen enjoyed.

He was surprised the door still wasn't locked if he was honest, he'd have thought Theo and Fors would have by now locked it so only they could get in. They didn't seem the type to do it but he knew how sensitive people could get about their own space. When he was younger, he himself had layed boobytraps around his room so it was virtually impossible for anyone to get in or out, including him.

The boy took a breath, testing the door to see if it would open with ease or not. Thankfully, it did, only giving a quiet groan from the hinges as it swung open. With a final glance over his shoulder to check if there was anyone else about, Kurt disappeared into the large room, closing the door soundlessly behind him. A quick twist of the rusty bolt ensured nobody could follow him.

Kurt gave a relaxed sigh as he looked around the deserted room, the only difference being a single spotlight flickering on the stage. Looking at the flashing light gave him a headache and so instead he turned, scanning the room and the lighting box for any sign of movement. There wasn't any and the only sound was his own slightly heavy breathing. Of course, why would they? His year were all on the field- some mandatory testing for a sports event. Who was the fastest and who had the most stamina, that kind of thing. Kurt had gotten out of it, having persuaded his father to write him a note to get out of it so nobody saw his bruises when he changed. His bones may have healed, but there were still traces of Karofsky.

After about a minute of scouring the room for anybody, Kurt found himself being naturally drawn to the room's only source of light- the circular focus on the stage. He didn't walk straight into it though. If anything, he avoided it like the plague but he still found himself climbing the steps that lead to the raised platform. Almost hugging the wall to make sure he didn't disturb the light, Kurt walked around it, finally getting to a darker area and sinking down on a stool, calming his breathing he hadn't even realized had picked up its pace.

He didn't know how long he sat there, just watching the light, but fond memories of the times he'd been near it brewed at the back of his mind. Singing with the New Directions with his (_ex_-)friends for their first ever sectionals performance. Doing duets with Rachel and basically managing to rid himself of all the pain and worry as he sang. It had been a haven for him, being in the light, he would be so vulnerable in his emotions yet he was safe.

He brought his knees up on the stool, hugging them to his chest before quickly realizing it was a bad idea to do this on a backless chair when he rocked backwards violently. In his haste to regain balance, Kurt flung out an arm, surprised when it crashed into something solid behind him and a clash of musical notes broke the silence of the auditorium. He looked around the room, breath hitching as he made sure nobody had heard him and come running. Nobody was shaking the doors to try and open them though, so guessed he was safe. After pushing himself back upright on the stool, Kurt twisted himself around so he could find out what he had fallen on, although he had a pretty good idea already.

A piano stared innocently up at his as he looked down upon it, reminding him of the time he'd seen it before. It certainly was a good model, better than the ones he'd seen at McKinley and he ached to find out what it sounded like. The time he'd been in the auditorium before, he had looked but never touched. Now he wondered if he'd be able to. There was nobody about so he definitely had the opportunity, just did he have the willpower? Slowly, he reached out a tentative hand and struck a chord, listening to the sound as it echoed around the space. He moved it up a bit on the notes, hitting another. Carefully he placed his other hand on the piano, playing a light scale. Kurt let out a quiet giggle as the music drifted to his ears and immediately stopped, covering his mouth as he looked around to see if anyone had heard.

Nobody came, after all, if they didn't hear when he was playing, how we're they to hear when his laugh was quieter than the instrument? He moved his hands along the piano again, playing the scale until his voice began to accompany it under his breath, slowly gaining in pitch as his confidence grew. Although he didn't expect it to be from not being used, his voice wasn't out of tune and Kurt actually enjoyed using it again, especially for something he enjoyed. The grin that covered his face could be easily heard as he sung along lightly. After a quarter of an hour of playing the same tune, the teen's fingers began to dance along other keys to form the notes of a song he recognised.

Kurt bit his tongue, considering his options before he was swept away by the music and began to sing, his voice barely above a whisper.

_Oh yeah, I'll tell you something_

_I think you'll understand_

_When I'll say that something_

_I wanna hold your hand_

_I wanna hold your hand_

_I wanna hold your hand_

The song reminded him of his mum's funeral- he had gripped his dad's hand all day then. Ever since, it would make him feel better. He hadn't seen his father in months now and, although they texted, his missed him desperately. Pictures were never as good as the real thing.

_Oh please, say to me_

_You'll let me be your man_

_And please, say to me_

_You'll let me hold your hand_

_I'll let me hold your hand_

_I wanna hold your hand_

_And when I touch you I feel happy_

_Inside_

_It's such a feeling that my love_

_I can't hide_

_I can't hide_

_I can't hide_

_Yeah, you've got that something_

_I think you'll understand_

_When I'll say that something_

_I wanna hold your hand_

_I wanna hold your hand_

_I wanna hold your hand_

A tear dripped down his cheek without his permission and Kurt hastily wiped it away. He wouldn't let himself cry.

_And when I touch you I feel happy_

_Inside_

_It's such a feeling that my love_

_I can't hide_

_I can't hide_

_I can't hide_

_Yeah, you've got that something_

_I think you'll understand_

_When I'll feel that something_

_I wanna hold your hand_

_I wanna hold your hand_

_I wanna hold your hand_

_I wanna hold your hand_

Kurt froze at the end of the song, jumping to his feet, making the piano stool fall over. Trembling, he stared over at the door which was shaking loudly on its hinges as someone tried the lock from the outside.

"Hello? Who's in there?"


	25. Love Love Love

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Oh and this one's a short one. Like, really short. Sorry.**

* * *

Blaine was coming back from the gym after throwing some punches when he heard the voice. If he had been in class as he usually would, he wouldn't have heard it, that was certain. As it was, he had had to strain his ears to hear it in the first place.

At first, he wasn't sure where the music was coming from- the voice was so clear he thought it was from a radio but, as he made his way towards the stairs that lead to the dorms, he realised it had gotten louder. The melody was so naked and filled with emotion, Blaine found himself being drawn to the source, the lilting tune guiding his way.

He found himself going down a corridor he barely used but he knew where it lead to- the auditorium. The song was quieter now, as if it was coming to an end and Blaine looked up at the metal door which stood in front of him, separating him from the singer and making it impossible for him to find out who it was. He tried the handle, rattling the door as he tried to undo it.

Nothing.

He repeated the action, putting a bit more force behind it this time.

"Hello? Who's in there?"

Silence met his question like a brick wall and Blaine pressed his ear against the door, straining his hearing to try to gain an answer.

"Hello?"

* * *

He should've known it wasn't a good idea. He was so stupid- he should've known. He should've.

Kurt flinched heavily as the door rattled again and pushed himself further into the shadows as he almost jumped off the stage and into the seating area which was covered by a blanket of darkness. He ducked behind the seats, heading towards the exit opposite to the one that had the boy standing outside. Kurt wasn't overly careful in his movements although he did try to keep next to things he could hide behind if the door was forced open. If that did happen anyway, Kurt would have a split second advantage as his eyes were already adjusted to the darkness whereas the other boy's weren't, meaning if he got in, he'd be temporarily blinded for about five precious seconds, giving Kurt enough time to hide.

He froze as the door gave another rattle, gentler than the previous but still enough to make Kurt's breath hitch and stare at it like a bunny in the headlights. Before it could happen again, Kurt was fumbling with the other escape and disappearing through it.

Somehow, Kurt managed to manoeuvre his way around the maze which was Dalton without getting lost- a miracle in itself. The miracle continued when he reached his dorm to find it was empty and he quickly dived onto his bed, trying to stop his hands from shaking as he picked up a book and pretended to be reading it. His eyes would look over the words but it was as if it was another language, none of the letters that had been put together to formulate words seemed to make sense to him.

He hoped Blaine would return soon, that way if whoever heard him wanted to find him, he'd have someone to vouch it wasn't him. He doubted the unknown boy had looked at the clock to get the precise time and he could always convince Blaine he'd been studying long before he actually had. His thoughts were disrupted as a loud buzzing filled the room and Kurt pulled out his phone nervously, still not too comfortable reading the messages even if he knew very few people had his number. The fact he couldn't control the fearful shivers still running through him didn't help either.

'_Hey kiddo, I miss you- how r u? -Dad'_

Kurt rolled his eyes lovingly at his father's attempts at text talk, but hurriedly replied. He missed his father a lot too and they hadn't texted in what felt like forever although, in reality, they had last night. But that felt like a millennium away after today.

_'I miss you too, I'm fine, how are you- Kurt'_

_'Fine as in good fine or fine as in below awful fine?- Dad'_

_'Good fine, how are you?- Kurt'_

His lips flicked up at the ends as he repeated the question- trust his dad to worry about him first.

_'Good :-) - Dad'_

The grin on Burt's face as he showed off the fact he could make a smiley face on a phone could almost be seen by the chestnut haired teen through the phone.

_'How's your heart? Is Carole feeding you right?-Kurt'_

_'Of course- I think she's afraid you'll come straight home if she doesn't- Dad'_

Kurt sighed and placed his phone down next to him. He knew his dad didn't mean that they didn't want him at home, but it still hurt, especially when he hadn't seen him in over a month.

* * *

After around half an hour had passed with Kurt sitting on his bed, simply thinking as he listened to his music, he realized Blaine wasn't coming up. It was a punch in the gut as the room suddenly felt- what was the word- lonely? Empty? And he felt the same, as if he was missing something and it eventually crashed down on him that something was Blaine. He had grown to depend on that boy and, if he was honest, it frightened him. Still, that didn't stop him from braving Dalton to try and find his best friend.

It surprised him how different the corridors felt when he was alone. Of course, he was surrounded by people, but it was as if he was invisible- it wasn't a feeling he was a stranger to but, since making friends with Blaine, it also wasn't one he felt in a while.

"Kurt!" Two voices chorused behind him and the teen nearly jumped out of his skin, almost biting his lip in half in the process.

"Kurtie!"

Breath getting caught in his throat, the targeted boy turned, getting greeted by two matching Cheshire grins so close Kurt flinched back immediately. What the-

"We haven't seen you in _aaaaaages_," one of the twins whined, linking his arm with Kurt's and ignoring how the other boy's body visibly tensed when he did so.

"Yeah, it was like Blaine had kidnapped you! We missed you," said the other twin, copying his brother's movements and linking Kurt's other arm with his own.

"So where are you going?"

"Narnia?"

"Mordor?"

"Camp Half-Blood?"

"Hogwarts?"

"Fors, it's not going to be _Hogwarts_," said Theo, stopping and turning to give the twin an exasperated look.

"Well, why not? Kurt could be a wizard in disguise for all you know."

"Then why isn't he already at Hogwarts then?"

"Dobby closed the barrier!"

"Dobby's dead.."

"Who gave you the _right_?!"

Kurt pulled away from the pair who were now wrestling on the floor, Fors' cries of denial barely heard over Theo's laughter.

"He's not dead! He can't be!"

"THEO! FORS!"

For what felt like the hundredth time today, Kurt jumped out of his skin as a loud voice shocked him from behind. The twins immediately sprung away from eachother as if they'd been electrocuted and stood up, each grinning up at their furious friend. Well, they called Kane their friend.

"Hey Percy!"

"My name's Kane and you know it- anyway, can you please not start fighting in the corridor? I swear it's the fifth time this month. I'd say I wouldn't hesitate to report you but I doubt anybody would do anything about it."

"Well what can we say?"

"We're adorable," said Theo, finishing off his brother's sentence. "People can't help but love us."

"_Riiight_," replied Kane, disbelievingly, "anyway, we'll continue this later okay? I'm already late for my lecture- I've got extra today."

"Aw, don't worry Perce. Just tell them it was our fault, they'll understand."

"You know, that's probably one of the best things about your reputations."

"We try."

"Well catch you later then," said Kane before disappearing around a corner and out of sight. The twins exchanged confused expressions and then resoundingly relinked their arms with Kurt's.

"Well that was weird.."

* * *

Five minutes and a lot of persuasive talking later, Kurt sat in an armchair in the corner of the Windsor common room whilst the twins, Nick, Jeff, David and Wes played a game of Twister on the floor. Originally, before Kurt and the gremlins had entered the room, the four other boys had been playing a game of Monopoly but then, after the gremlins had entered, Theo had 'accidentally' tripped on the board, spilling the pieces. It was at that point the group decided to play a new game.

From the angle of Kurt's chair, the porcelain teen could view the entire room whilst he watched the five struggle to keep balance. Wes had nearly fallen a total of twelve times now whilst Nick and Jeff were so entangled their noses were touching, not that the two lovers minded of course. Fors, who was standing near Jeff, suddenly split his face into his signature evil grin and bend down, whispering something in the blond's ear. Jeff then gave a matching smile and looked down at his boyfriend, noting the shaking arms as they struggled to remain holding his weight.

"Jeff? Jeff what are you-"

Nick was cut off as Jeff moved his head and kissed the other boy sweetly on the nose. With an indignant shout, the dark haired teen lost his balance and fell onto the floor. What Jeff didn't realize however was, because of the way they were entangled, if Nick fell, so would he.

"Two down!" Fors whooped, receiving death glares from each of the fallen boys.

"Whatever, I told you you shouldn't trust them Jeffy, they're evil."

"That's not true, we just use our initiative!"

"Yeah," said Nick, turning to whisper in Jeff's ear, "_evil_."

The next to go was Wes but, because of the little sense of balance he actually had, that was hardly a surprise. All he needed was a gentle nudge from Theo. David was harder to make fall as he was wary of the twins and Wes would rig the board so the results would put the twins in difficult positions as far away from David as possible. In the end, he fell when Fors nearly did the splits over him. To say the least, he wasn't amused.

After David dropped out, pun intended, the game was close to becoming violent as the atmosphere tensed as the gremlins battled it out. The positions grew harder as Wes stopped bothering to turn the pointer, simply calling out things like 'left foot red' ect. Jeff pretended to cover his eyes and burrow into Nick's side as the subtle nudges turned into pushes.

However, the game was short-lived as an excited, gelmetted boy entered the room, slumping down next to Nick and Jeff on the sofa whilst the gremlins fell to the floor, the door having pushed them both over.

"Pretty sure you touched the floor first.."

"Did not!"

"Did too!" Shortly after, the two started rolling about on the floor play-fighting.

Meanwhile, Kurt was watching Blaine who currently looked almost drunk as he lay on the sofa, staring at the ceiling whilst Jeff and Nick watched him with confused eyes.

"Umm, Blaine..? Are you okay?"

Blaine rolled over onto his side, facing David and unintentionally hiding his smiling face from Kurt.

"I'm in love."


	26. Discoveries

"I'm in love."

A spluttering, coughing sound filled the room from Wes, "_what_?"

"I'm in love," repeated Blaine, sitting up and looking Wes straight in the eye, his expression serious.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes!"

"Well, what's their name?"

Silence.

"Blaine?"

"..I- I don't know."

"What?"

"I said I don't know! It's just... I heard them singing and I don't know... something clicked."

"You heard them?" Fors asked suddenly, sitting up from his seat on top of Theo.

"Yeah."

"So you didn't see them?" Theo continued.

"Well..No. I couldn't open the door and they'd left before I could reach another entrance."

Wes and David exchanged looks whilst Kurt struggled to shrink his widened eyes, knowing the person Blaine must have heard was him. Thankfully, Blaine held everyone's attention and nobody was looking at him. He swallowed, trying to compose himself.

"Blaine...you don't even know their name. Are you sure that it's love. It's not like you haven't been wrong before- remember the last time? '_When I get you alone'_... didn't you get him fired?"

Blaine blushed and Kurt looked up in curiosity, noticing the way each of the boys winced slightly as they remembered what was known as 'the warbler gap attack'.

"Seriously, singing him- what was his name again, Jeremiah?"

David nodded at Wes.

"Anyway, singing Jeremiah a song about sex toys? I'm still suffering from second-hand cringing. All I'm saying is, what if it's like then? You said it yourself, you didn't even see their face."

Blaine sat up, his face morphed into a stony bitch stare, "so that's what this is all about? It's not like before, this...it feels different."

"Because you don't know them."

"No, Wes! Because... I don't know, but the emotion in their voice... I'd never heard it before yet I recognized it. It sounds stupid, I know, but I can't explain how it feels to me. And I shouldn't have to! You're supposed to be my friends."

"We are!" David spoke up, putting his hand on Wes' shoulder to stop him from saying something he'd regret, "it's just.. as Wes said, it sounds a bit farfetched.."

Standing up, Blaine bit back his anger and upset from his friends reactions, "I need to go."

"Blaine-"

The boy just calmly walked out the room, shutting the door behind him.

"Well done you two."

A few minutes later, Kurt left the room too, lost in his thoughts.

* * *

It was dark outside as Blaine left Windsor, heading into the cold towards the gym. Although he had already visited it earlier in the day, he knew he needed to sort out his thoughts, and he had grown accustomed to punching a bag whilst he did this.

The lights were out in the sports room when Blaine reached it, the doors locked too. Luckily, when Blaine had first come to Dalton, he had been given a key to it- something The Dean had thought would be a good idea in order to help Blaine deal with his past. The man had encouraged the teen to join several clubs, boxing being one although Blaine would argue it wasn't a club as he didn't do it during the times everyone else did as he often had work to do or other clubs. This was part of the reason he had been gifted the key, although Blaine did think The Dean may have forgotten he still had it. It didn't stop him from using it though.

Inside, the dark haired boy quickly opened his locker, pulling out his gym clothes and changing in a matter of seconds- a product of his overcrowded emotions. He wrapped his hands skilfully and slid his familiar, black gloves on top. They were from his father who had seemed to had taken an interest in him when The Dean had told him about Blaine taking up the sport. Possibly he had thought it was his first steps in turning straight. This was one of the reasons they were so well worn- he'd sometimes remember this theory and, with every punch, he imagine he was squashing his father's ideas. And it felt good.

After performing his usual warm up routine, Blaine walked over to the hanging bag, giving it a look over before landing his first punch, getting rewarded by a soft thud as the fabrics collided. He repeats his movements over and over, his footwork was sloppier than usual, as it wasn't a proper practice and he just wanted to get his anger out, but his punches were still forceful and well aimed. Deep down, he knew his friends were right, how could you be in love with someone when you didn't know the smallest thing about them? But he couldn't explain it, much like he couldn't get that song out of his head. That voice, that voice! It was so perfect, yet vulnerable but oh so strong at the same time. And he didn't even know the owner! He punched the bag again in frustration.

He imagined the bag was all his worries- what if the voice belonged to a girl? He was so sure he was gay- a gold star gay and proud at that. But what if it did? It'd mean his dad was right all along, that it was just a phase and he just had to '_find the right girl_.' He knew that idea was a massive pile of bs, but still... What if?

A punch to the bag.

Everyone would be right- he had been beaten up after the Sadie Hawkins dance for nothing.

_Punch_.

He had split up his parents marriage for nothing.

_Punch_.

He'd lost his mother's love for something he believed to be true, and he had been wrong.

This punch was weaker as Blaine collapsed to the floor in tears- why did it have to be him? He didn't deserve this...did he?

Suddenly, he felt some hesitant, gentle arms wrap around him and Blaine didn't even look up. He just sank into them.

Five minutes later, after he had eventually stopped crying and simply allowed himself to be held into a hug, Blaine looked up, wiping the mix of sweat and tears away from his eyes as it occurred to him he didn't know who the other person was.

"K- Kurt?"

The shy boy just gave a tiny smile. After he had left the room, Kurt had immediately tried to find his best friend. He could tell the boy was upset and, even though he would start shaking when he thought of how close Blaine was to discovering his secret, he knew he had to find him.

Thankfully, Blaine wasn't too careful in hiding his way although he did seem to walk fast. Kurt was just lucky he had listen to Coach Sue when she had demonstrated her tracking skills- something she had shown him along with the rest of her Cheerios to show them how easy it would be to find them if they ever ran away from the group. Still, by the time Kurt had got to the gym, Blaine was already throwing punches at the bag and Kurt had hid, eyes widening as he realized what Blaine was doing. Boxing. Beating things up. His thoughts immediately lead to Karofsky. He only came out of his thoughts and hiding place when he noticed Blaine sinking to the ground in despair and he knew he had to push his emotions aside.

"Kurt? What- are you okay?"

* * *

Theo and Fors had never really been considered 'normal'. Whether it was because of their past, the fact they wouldn't rest until they had completed whatever they set out to do or that their loyalty to their friends was so strong few possessed it, they never really knew. However, the knack for creating mischief whilst also owning large amounts of money had never really mixed very well; it was just fuel for their shenanigans. They still carried rock salt and holy water from the time they had been completely addicted to Supernatural- luckily, they had stopped spraying the water randomly into people's faces after it had got into David's eyes and he'd fallen backwards down the stairs. Still, at least they'd confirmed he wasn't a demon.

Since the boys had first found out about the passageways, they had set about exploiting their money by setting up several hidden cameras around Dalton so they could disappear and reappear without being caught. One of these cameras, they had placed in the auditorium, and that was what they were watching now.

"It's very dark, isn't it?"

"Nearly as dark as our souls," grinned Theo, jokingly.

"I was going to say that the tapes nearly as blank as David's love life but yours works too."

"Speaking of David- have you tried Kurt's cookies?"

"How is that related to David?"

"They both know eachother! But seriously, back in Halloween, him, Jeff and the others made some and I suddenly have a craving for them."

"Jeff helped? You probably ate one with some kind of mustard or bug in it then..."

"Well he should do it again then, they tasted like- _look_!"

"How can something taste like look?"

"No- _look_! At the screen."

Sure enough, a slight figure was able to be vaguely made out on the camera, barely shown as the body was careful to keep out of the light.

"Who is that?"

"Well it's not a girl at least, I'm pretty sure I just saw a flash of colour from a Dalton blazer, also, look at the shoes when they next come into light."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"So..it's a boy who goes to Dalton and wears shoes like that? Does this mean going shoe watching?"

"I-"

And that's when the figure began to sing, making each of the gremlins stop talking immediately as their mouths fell open at the music.

"Wow.."

"Shh, listen!"

Each boy then fell completely silent until the melody finished and even after, it was a while until either spoke.

"Well... I can see why Blaine fell in love."

"Yeah..."

"So what do we do with the tape now?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well you saw how fast the boy moved so he didn't get caught by Blaine... if they did that, they definitely won't want it on record...so.."

"We destroy the tape?"

"We destroy the tape."

* * *

"Kurt? What- are you okay?"

Kurt gave a half smile- he'd just found out his best friend was quite possibly a jock. That he'd failed by trusting him. That he was just another person who quite probably would end up hating him when he found out about his past. Sure, he was fine.

Besides, he could deal with his emotions later.

And so he looked up at Blaine, forcing the smile to stick and hiding his shock and terror, and nodded. Blaine gave a weak, slightly teary smile back.

"We should probably get back to the dorm- it's getting late."

Again, Kurt nodded and accepted Blaine's hand up, keeping up his facade. Afterwards, Blaine gathered his school clothes and stuffed them haphazardly into his sports bag, slinging it over one shoulder. Together, they walked across the now pitch black grounds to Windsor.

That night, Blaine woke up with a start, unaware at first at quite what had shaken him until he heard a low whimpering. His first intelligible thoughts were to check if Kurt was okay and, as he did so, he found the source of noise. Although the porcelain teen was lying flat on his back, he was shaking violently whilst his hands were moving as if they were fighting off an imaginary creature. Suddenly, it was as if his hands were pinned by his side and tears leaked down the boy's face which was currently morphed into a look of pain.

Blaine jumped out of bed in an instant, rushing to the boy's side.

"Kurt? Kurt!"

No change.

"C'mon, Kurt!" He tried again, earning the same amount of acknowledgement: none. Taking a deep breath whilst knowing the boy didn't like being touched, he shook Kurt lightly, this time making him stir slightly. He bit his tongue- if the teen didn't like being touched, how would he react to being forced awake to find another boy by his side? Blaine sighed, as long as he wasn't in pain, he would count it as a win.

More forcefully this time, Blaine shook Kurt again, this time awakening him.

The chestnut haired teenager sat up immediately, cowering away from Blaine mechanically.

"Kurt? It's only me- Blaine. Are you okay? I think you were having a nightmare.."

Kurt nodded, not sure what he was agreeing to but he relaxed a bit at the sound of his friend's voice.

"...do you want to tell me what it was about?"

Kurt shook his head.

"Okay, that's fine too..umm.." Blaine reached towards the other boy's bedside lamp, silently asking Kurt with his eyes to check if it was okay before he turned it on. "You're very pale," observed Blaine, marvelling at the washed out tone of the boy's skin, much whiter than usual.

In return, Kurt managed a feeble smile before carefully reaching over and pointing at his notepad and pen. Blaine, getting the idea, obliged in passing it to him.

'_Hey Blaine.._?'

"Yeah?" Blaine replied, smiling welcomingly at the other boy.

'_Can I ask you something_?'

"Kurt, you're my best friend, of course you can- _anything_."

The pale boy took a deep breath, '_you box_.'

"Yes..although that's more of a statement than a question."

'_No, I mean.. Blaine, are you..'_ Kurt's handwriting was now almost illegible due to the shakiness of his hands.

'_Are you a- a jock_?'


	27. It's a Shoe Thing

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

* * *

Blaine had to force back a shocked laugh, "what?"

From the other boy's initial response, Kurt wasn't sure if he dare repeat it so he kept quiet.

"Kurt... is that what your nightmare was about?"

The boy ducked his head, curling in on himself a bit more- his dream had definitely featured the scenario, but it wasn't the cause of his nightmare. Kurt guessed this was because he knew deep down Blaine could be trusted, however, despite this, he was pretty sure the idea was what triggered it.

In truth, Kurt's life was full of 'what if' s and, honestly, it scared him. What if Karofsky had gone that step too far and killed him? What if he'd listened to his dad and gone to the garage that night? What if he'd capitulated into the demands of the notes that were shoved through his locker? He didn't want to think about it.

"Kurt?" Gingerly, Blaine reached out his hand and placed it hesitantly on the other boy's shoulder in comfort. "..Is this about the boxing? Because Kurt-" he peered through the boy's arms which were curled around his head, leaving a tiny gap for him to look through and which Blaine now used to meet the blue eyes with his. "-I assure you, I'm not a jock."

Kurt dropped his arms a bit, his knees still brought up by his chest.

"Do you remember what I told you before? About what happened to me at my old school?"

A nod.

"Well, after..it happened, I found myself getting so angry- constantly angry- about everything. I refused to even try and make friends because I was so certain I would hurt them... the bullies who- y'know- anyway, they kept telling me my 'lifestyle choice' would always hurt those who were close to me. And for a while, well, I believed them. After I first came out, my dad just kinda stopped talking to me and mum left, my brother soon went to L.A. to start his acting career and I was just alone.

So I bottled it all up- the pain, my feelings... I just stopped it all. Then, now I think back it was just after I moved to Dalton. I'd been here about a week and then, one day, I was just called into The Dean's office. Apparently a few of the other boys had noticed I kept pushing people away and my anger and had brought it to his attention. I was panicking all the way there- I mean, what if he kicked me out? I'd have to move back in with dad, even if it was only for a bit and I knew he wouldn't want me there. Why would he? I wrecked his marriage."

Kurt was now sat up slightly straighter, watching Blaine through curious eyes as he reminisced in his past.

"But I'm still here, so he didn't kick me out. No, instead he handed me a key- told me to join some clubs to help 'relieve my anger'. Then he did something I didn't expect- he told me to get changed into my sports kit and meet him by the sports hall in ten minutes- he'd write me a pass to excuse me from lessons."

"I went and was surprised to see him also in a dark tracksuit. Asked for the key he gave me earlier- thankfully I had transferred it into my trouser pockets- and then opened up the door. I can't tell you how shocked I was- shocked that he trusted me with it mainly. I didn't think I was worth it. After a quick warm up, he showed me the boxing bag, telling me to give it a go and try to focus all my negative emotions on it and it worked. I no longer felt so angry when I was fighting back, even if it was just on a harmless bag of hanging sand. We did that all day, just me getting taught some techniques- footwork, how to throw the punches correctly, wrapping hands. We didn't stop doing it when we finished though and I kept it up, day after day, learning to defend myself and, honestly, it felt good.

I had spent so long just running and now I finally felt like, if it ever happened again, I could stand up for myself. Eventually, sir started entering me in competitions and usually, I would win. Even claimed a few titles for myself but, if I was honest to myself, I wasn't really having fun. I didn't like hurting someone else, it felt too much like I was becoming one of the people who had hurt me. So I stuck with the bag instead.. Kurt, I'm not a jock, I use boxing to defend myself, a way of dealing with my past without hurting others in the process."

Blaine reached out, taking Kurt's hand in his and silently rejoicing when Kurt didn't flinch away. Maybe he hadn't lost the trust the shy boy had placed in him?

"And I'd never intentionally hurt anyone without an extremely valid reason and them being able to fight back just as well as I can."

Slowly, Kurt nodded and offered Blaine a small smile which the other boy returned, squeezing his hand lightly.

"So.. I don't think I can really sleep after that, would you maybe like to watch some Disney?"

Kurt nodded, after his nightmare, he doubted he'd be able to sleep again without a nightmare. He wasn't sure if he wanted to sleep again if he was just going to dream of thing like that.

"Awesome! Do you want to pick?" Blaine asked, showing Kurt his DVD collection which Kurt looked at for a moment before gingerly, yet decisively, pointing to Tangled. Blaine grinned and brought it out, placing it in his laptop.

Little did Kurt know he had just chosen one of Blaine's personal favourites.

* * *

When Kurt woke up the next day, he felt completely disoriented as he struggled to figure out where he was. His back was pressed against something hard whilst what he was sat on felt softer, more squishy. Something tickled his face and Kurt automatically pulled away, opening his eyes to find out what it was. A long, curly piece of black hair...

...attached to Blaine's head.

In shock, Kurt fell back, surprised when a falling sensation jolted him and he hit the ground with a loud thud.

"Wha- Kurt?"

Kurt looked up, embarrassed and frightened at the concept of having fallen asleep with someone on there bed. His eyes met a worried Blaine who peered over the bed with bug eyes.

"Are you alright?"

Kurt nodded, heart still racing- where was his pen and notepad? Blaine, seeing the other boy's confusion quickly climbed off the bed, picking up the book from where Kurt had placed it last night and helpfully passed it to the porcelain teen.

Kurt speedily turned to a fresh page- '_what happened_?'

"I'm guessing we must have fallen asleep during Tangled... whoops"

'_Oh yeah... just, why were we in your bed_..?' Wrote Kurt, blushing, but he did want to know. Even though he was sure it was completely innocent, he needed to know. After before, being too physically close to someone scared him, although the prospect of being that close to Blaine didn't as much. But maybe the feeling that he was like that with the curly haired teen frightened him more.

"What do you- oh. Oh! No, nothing- no, it was because the floor wasn't very comforting and my laptop's only small. I didn't- _no_." Blaine stuttered out, turning the same shade of red as Kurt who immediately felt a wave of relief wash over him. At least nothing bad happened like- Kurt cut off his thought there.

"Anyway," said Blaine eventually, face still red, "umm, breakfast..?"

* * *

"I don't think they're here, all there is is stinky feet and scraps of dropped food," said Theo, crawling on his hands and knees under tables and examining people's shoes. It had earned him many weird looks but thankfully no one questioned it, used to him and his twin doing things that weren't considered following the status quo. It was almost a daily occurrence for those at Dalton and nobody even mentioned it before, learning that if they did, the answers would be in riddles anyway.

"Yeah same here- ow!" Fors replied into his walkie talkie, rubbing his head as he was accidentally kicked by an oncoming foot. "Watch where you're going!"

"Hey, I just found a penny!"

"Great, but how's that supposed to help us find Blaine's crush?"

"Find a penny, pick it up and all day you'll have good luck!"

"Pretty sure David found a penny the day we accidentally put him in hospital..."

"Fine, find a penny, pick it up and all day you'll have good luck except if you're David," revised Theo.

"Theo? What are you doing down there?"

"Gotta go, Fors. Myrtle's found me."

"Hey," protested Nick, whilst Jeff and Trent exchanged grins from behind him. "I don't even know why you call me that anyway. It makes no sense."

"Well my dear Nick-"

"-let us inform you," Fors finished, joining his twins side and brushing the dirt off them lightly.

"You remember when we first got pulled into the Harry Potter fandom-"

"Well, around that time, you were being extremely.."

"Irritating?" Theo supplied.

"Yeah, _irritating_."

"Oh, but what if Jeffy doesn't like me back?" Theo said in a high pitch, whiny voice, impersonating Nick.

"Does my hair look nice, does he even notice me?"

"He said hi to me today! This is definitely going in my diary!"

"Okay, I never said that, and I sound nothing like that!"

"Yes you do, Nick," said Fors, waving it off.

"Besides, Jeff wasn't much better," continued Theo whilst Jeff blushed.

"But there's only one Myrtle and we couldn't call you both the same- it'd get confusing."

"So, sorry Jeff, but it was Nick who won the title-"

"-we found he.. _connected_.. so much better to the character."

"But you must remember, we call you this out of the fondness of our hearts."

"Not because you actually do live in the toilets and scare everyone off with your unceasing caterwauling.."

"Or that you're a ghost who everyone avoids.."

"Y'know, nothing like that."

"Absolutely nothing like that."

"But anyway-"

"-breakfast?"

Soon after, the five boys were seated at their usual table, now joined by Kurt and Blaine. Blaine was slowly, but artfully, feeding Kurt bits of toast as the boy had originally chosen a salad, as per usual. Theo and Fors each had a bagel in front of them, decorated in chocolate spread, candied sweets and sprinkles with a light dressing of melted- was that marshmallows? It was a weird combination but each twin loved it, however, today, they payed little attention to the sugary mess, distracted by their search to find the boy with the black shoes. Nick and Trent each had a bowl of Cheerios, Nick's with extra sugar as Jeff claimed it tasted better like that- and who was he to argue? Besides, it did taste like the definition of awesome.

"Do I have to do this?"

"Yes! If you didn't want to, you should have thought before you spoke last night."

A muttered argument could be heard over the usual morning rabble and the twins looked up, stifling laughs as they spotted David almost pushing Wes over to their table, the Asian sulking as he was dragged. Just before they reached it, Blaine turned around, winking secretly at Kurt before turning his face stony as he turned to stare at Wes. He knew David would try and get Wes to apologize and, especially as the grumbling boy hated doing so, he was going to have as much fun with it as he could.

"Can I help you?"

"Umm, Blaine -yes."

Blaine raised an eyebrow, keeping his expression hostile even though he was cracking up inside.

"Well, David told me to- _ow_!" David flashed a smile, looking away when Wes turned a bitch face on him, rubbing his ankle, "what was that for?"

David didn't answer, simply allowing a jerk of his head towards Blaine's direction to explain.

"Idjit- anyway Blaine, apparently I'm supposed-"

A pointed cough from David.

"Okay, it has come to my attention..?"

Wes looked over to David who gave him a little nod of encouragement.

"Yes, it has come to my attention that some of the things I said last night may have been interpreted as mean and unsupporting. Completely wrongly of course, but that doesn't really surprise-"

Another cough.

"Anyway, David-"

_Cough_.

"_I_-" Wes corrected, shooting a glare at his friend, "I want you to know that I'm completely supporting of you thinking you've fallen in love with someone you didn't even see-"

"_Wes_!"

"Fine David! Blaine, you're my friend, and I guess if you think you're in love, I'm not going to stop you. Even if most teenagers who fall in love break up after less than-"

"_Okay_! Well, I'm sure that's the best we're going to get- Blaine, what Wes is trying to say is that he's sorry and if you'll forgive him. Oh, and also that I'm the greatest person in the world," said David, rolling his eyes at Wes when he responded with, "yeah, that!"

"So... Will you forgive him..?"

Blaine looked at Wes for a moment who cowered slightly under his glare before he couldn't hold back his laughter. And once he started, so did everyone else with the exception of Wes who couldn't quite see what was so funny.

"Oh Wes- of course I'll forgive y-"

Blaine was cut off as one of the twins started choking suddenly, coughing loudly as he tried to clear his throat.

"Fors? Fors!" Theo called by his side, banging the other boy hard on the back before his brother eventually managed to clear his throat. "Are you okay?"

Fors looked up, meeting their eyes as he coughed hoarsely again before whispering dramatically,

"...shoes..!"


	28. SNAKE!

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Oh, and the song in this song is 'Don't You' by Mr Darren Criss himself, I couldn't resist. **

* * *

"Fors? What did you just say?" Trent, looking with his friend. Meanwhile, Theo had followed his brother's gaze, tuned into his twins thoughts from all the years of living together whilst being shipped from school to school. Immediately, his jaw dropped open and, for a moment, forgot how to breathe. Soon, he joined in with Fors' coughing.

"What the- Theo? Fors? Do you guys need a cup of water or..?" David asked, banging Theo on the back as he wondered if the two were choking- they hadn't eaten anything before they started coughing though. He looked at Theo's face and saw the surprised eyes, curiously beginning to follow them. Luckily, Theo managed to stop him before he turned around.

"No!" David stopped, giving the gremlin a weird look who quickly backtracked, "I mean no.. no pets indoors! Yeah."

David exchanged a confused look with Wes whilst Blaine and Kurt watched the scene, eyebrows raised. In the split second they did this, Theo took the opportunity to stamp on his brother's foot, wireless telling him to shut up.

"Are you okay Theo?"

"What? Uh, yeah..yeah-"

"SNAKE!"

Everyone in the food hall's heads snapped around, some in curiosity, others in fright.

"Fors, stop messing about- it's not funny."

"I'm not- there's a SNAKE!"

Jeff, previously grinning at Fors' joke, decided to follow the boy's pointing to see if there was any truth in the statement. Within the next blink of the eye, he was standing on top of a table, quivering as he watched the long creature look up as if to try and find the source of the disruption.

"Jeff..?" Nick asked as his boyfriend pulled him up onto the table with him before looking back to where he had been standing. He swore loudly and took a protective step in front of Jeff- "_SNAKE_!"

Slowly, the other boys began to spot the reptile and everyone took a long step back, the cornered ones climbing onto the table and joining Nick and Jeff on the table.

"Is- is it poisonous?" One of the boys in the crowd asked timidly.

"I don't know- are you planning on eating it?" Came the scornful reply.

Some of the on looking teenagers had by now rushed off to try and find a teacher, whilst Wes, David, Nick, Jeff and Trent stood still on the table, holding onto eachother in their attempt to keep their balance on the small surface.

Somewhere during this time, Kurt and Blaine had disappeared. Now the only people within a ten foot radius of the serpent were Theo and Fors who were each wondering if it was venomous so they could get some and use it in the future.

"Okay, everyone step away from the snake!"

The crowd of adolescents parted in two and The Dean walked through, followed by a group of boys who must have left to get him. He quickly summarised the situation, noting the boys clutching eachother on the table and the twins who were getting precariously closer to the snake as they attempted to- well, he wasn't sure what they were trying to do but he was sure it would end up in at least one of them getting hurt.

"Theo, Fors, get over here now."

Reluctantly, the twins obliged and joined the crowd, mingling until The Dean stopped paying attention. It was then the two disappeared after hearing the man call for someone to get 'pest control.' That didn't sound very good as the two wanted that snake alive.

Meanwhile, The Dean was beginning to try an evacuate the room, first getting rid of the crowd before looking worriedly at the cornered group standing on the table. He couldn't risk and of them getting hurt and he wasn't sure what breed the snake was, or if it kill. However, he was pretty sure snakes could climb so how long they'd be safe, he didn't know.

"Aaah!" A sudden shout broke the tense silence and The Dean's eyes widened as he realised what had happened. Somehow, Jeff had fallen off the table, landing awkwardly and falling over, almost right next to the snake. Nick immediately began fighting the other boys so he could get to the blond but luckily they reacted quickly, restraining the teen from behind so he couldn't move.

"Nick! Stop struggling!" Wes shouted over the boy's angry cries, gripping his arm tighter so he wouldn't get hit again as the teen fought for freedom. "Nick!"

"Jeff!"

The blond looked up at Nick with wide eyes, shuffling backwards from the snake as it stared down at him with curious eyes. Slowly, it began to slither towards him and Jeff's breath came out in shudders. Watching as it advanced, Jeff maneuvered himself backwards again, his heart nearly stopping when he felt his back collide with the wall. By now, Nick was going crazy whilst everyone else looked on with panicked, helpless eyes.

Slowly, Jeff turned back to the snake, waiting for the moment when it sank its teeth into his own fleshy arm.

* * *

"Well that was one heck of a distraction, where'd you get the snake?" Theo asked, shutting the door to their dorm behind him. Unbeknownst to most people, they had installed soundproofing long ago, the teachers were still unaware of it. They had installed it themselves and it actually worked rather well. The twins prided themselves in the fact that they could do anything if they set their minds to it; this was proof of that.

"I didn't."

"Wait, so where did the snake come from?"

"I don't know.."

"Oh..it's not dangerous though is I? Because that would be kinda awesome."

"Dunno, I didn't recognise any of the markings.."

"Neither did I"

"However, that doesn't really matter, someone else can sort that out."

"Yeah.. so what are we going to do about Kurt? I mean, he had the same shoes as the boy in the video?"

"I don't know- we should probably find out if it was him first. Make certain, because if it is him...No, it can't be!"

"What do you mean?"

"It can't be him- he can't talk!"

"Not true."

"Huh?"

"Not true, he never actually said that- for all we know, he could just be extremely shy or something. We don't know he can't talk for definite."

"Yes, but-"

"You've got to consider all the possibilities...however, I agree there's a very low chance it actually is Kurt."

"Yeah..but we can't just go and ask him 'oh, hi! Are you the boy Blaine's fallen in love with?' If anything, we'd just scare him."

"So, what should we do then..we need to make sure it's him at least before we start stalking him."

Theo suddenly gave a massive, Cheshire grin as he turned to his brother, eyes wide with impishness, "how does a game of breaking and entering sound to you?"

"Why, I thought you'd never ask."

* * *

Blaine had never really like snakes after his old school, he had nothing against the creatures, in fact he found them fascinating, it was just that had been the name of the football team back them, a snake as their mascot. Until now, this had settled in his unconscious but now he remembered. He refused to think about it too much though, instead disappearing to the auditorium, away from the madness. He was sure Kurt preferred it there anyway, he'd looked a bit shaken when everything erupted. Okay, a lot.

But, nowadays, both boys considered the auditorium as a safe room, somewhere they could go if they were in trouble or just wanted to get away from everything. The seclusion from the rest of the school provided a comfort to both of them and the fact it could easily be locked supported this, along with the sea of chairs they could hide between if anyone did manage to get in.

"You know, Kurt, this is where I first heard him. As you know, I didn't see him, but his voice... it was of an angel."

Kurt swallowed and forced his face to remain indifferent, it was constantly gaining difficulty as the threat of Blaine realising it had been him loomed closer. But Blaine probably- hopefully- didn't think it was him. After all, for all Blaine knew, he couldn't talk, let alone sing. He crossed his fingers in the hope he'd be safe for a bit longer.

"Anyway, I'm guessing he must have been stood up there, on the stage. And he sung so perfectly- he was definitely a counter-tenor at least Kurt, and my, if you'd heard his range... but y'know what? The others would laugh but his voice? None of that really matters.. it was the pain I heard in his voice. It reminded me of my own and I knew in that instant I wanted to save him. Because I'd never heard anything so raw and emotional, something that touched me so much, than that."

Kurt tilted his head, listening with curiosity as Blaine jumped to his feet, bounding onto the stage.

"So anyway, I was wondering if I could have your opinion on something I've been working on. I've been thinking about how I don't even know their name and how nobody's come up to me, not that I really expected it. But I was thinking, if I ever did find out who it was, what would I say? And then I found this song..anyway..it- it goes like this."

Kurt hid a smile as Blaine gave a miniscule gulp; the lead vocalist of the warblers, scared? He lost his thoughts though, when the music began to play.

_Say, wasn't that a funny day?_

_Gee, you had a funny way- way about you._

_A kind of glow of something new._

_Sure-I'll admit that I'm the same._

_Another sucker for the game kids like to play,_

_And the rules they like to use._

Blaine smiled as he remembered the other boy, it faltering a bit as the memory of the teen disappearing came to mind. But the song was right- it had been a funny day.

_Don't you want the way I feel?_

_Don't you want the way I feel?_

_Don't you want the way I feel for you?_

_The sun: telling me the night is done._

_Well I refuse to let it stop our fun._

_Close your eyes-we'll make it dark again_

If the boy wanted to hide, he could...Blaine just wanted to hide with him.

_A kiss; there's a thought, so how 'bout this?_

_Let's pretend that both our lips are made of candy._

_After all, we need sweets every now and then._

_Don't you want the way I feel?_

_Don't you want the way I feel?_

_Don't you want the way I feel for you?_

_Here we are: two strangers in a very different place._

_Who knows what could happen to us next?_

_Here we are with nothing but this little spark._

_It's too cold outside to lay this fire to rest._

_Go? How so very apropos:_

_A goodbye just as soon as I said 'Hello."_

_Well all right, I'll see you later._

_It's true: it's just a fantasy for two._

_But what's the difference if it all could have been true?_

_I guess this is better._

_But don't you want the way I feel?_

_Don't you want the way I feel?_

_Don't you want the way I feel for you?_

Blaine had to stop a tiny sigh escaping his lips. Did the mystery boy not want him? Was he not good enough for him? Did he even know him?

_Oh, don't you want the way I feel?_

_Don't you want the way I feel?_

_Don't you want the way I feel for you?_

_Don't you want the way that I feel for you?_

Blaine finished with a worried look before Kurt started clapping loudly.

"..so you think they'd like it or was it too much..?" Blaine asked awkwardly.

The other boy smiled, speechless before eventually writing, _'I think they'd love it.'_

* * *

Slowly, Jeff turned back to the snake, waiting for the moment when it sank its teeth into his own fleshy arm. Jeff didn't feel numb yet, nor did he see a light, coming towards him or an urge to step into one. In fact, he felt completely normal.

He gingerly opened one eye, looking nervously at the serpent. The snake returned his stare, and Jeff wondered at the back of his head why he wasn't dead yet.

Nick had now stopped fighting, instead keeping as quiet as he could in the hope he wouldn't fighten the snake into hurting his boyfriend. The only noise in the room was the stifled whimpers coming from Jeff.

"_THERE_ you are!"

The whole room turned around to see Roddy standing in the doorway, now walking up to the snake seeming completely unafraid.

"Roddy! Roderick! Get away from that snake! It could be venomous- you might scare it." The Dean called out in an angry whisper, stealthily walking forwards and grabbing the boy's coat before he could get too close.

"What? She's perfectly harmless..?"

"She?"

"Well yes... her name's Wonda," Roddy added helpfully, as if it would support his first answer.

"What- you've..you've _named_ it?"

"Of course, I name all my pets..?"

By now, The Dean was turning red with a mixture of anger and annoyance and the boys were starting to wonder for his health. Whilst he did this, Roderick took his chance and carefully slid out of his coat and leaving it in his Principle's arms. He then quickly darted over to pick up his pet, allowing it to wrap around his arm before she got any closer to Jeff and make him faint from hyperventilating... if that was possible. Everyone who stood on the table shot him panicked looks whilst Jeff bowed his head, taking deep breaths.

"RODERICK, PUT THAT SNAKE DOWN!"

Wonda slid up and rested around his neck as she jumped, scared by the loud booming voice coming from The Dean.

"...what snake?"

"Don't try to be smart, the snake you're holding. I can't have you getting bitten, your parents trust me to keep you safe."

"Wait.. Wonda?"

"If that's what you call it."

"Umm, she's not a snake."

"Excuse me?"

"She's not a snake? She's a slow worm- don't worry, it's a common misconception. But if you look closely, you can see the differences between them. Wonda for instance, has-"

"Roderick, my office. _Now_."

"Oh. Umm, right. Ok."

He turned around to the other boys one final time to see Nick holding Jeff in a tight embrace whilst the others were eying the slow worm from a distance.

"Oops..?"


	29. The Locked Wardrobe

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

It was wintertime at Dalton, approaching Christmas and it was beginning to dawn on the boys. The long awaited snow days and treasured low amounts of exams, the opposite of what the Dalton boys were used to. But one of Dalton's annual traditions, the winter dance, was the one that filled everyone's minds, distracting each teenager as they half-heartedly attempted to concentrate on lessons, something most teachers had given up on. Instead they gave Christmas themed tests and activities, knowing the boys were currently incapable of doing anything productive.

It was the topic of the winter dance that Blaine had been pulled out of lessons a few days ago, the one that had lead him to the voice that played over and over in his head. For a while, he had procrastinated thinking about what the teacher had told him, instead putting his effort into finding the owner of the music, yet, when that trail eventually ran cold for him, the thoughts floated back to his mind, dancing in front of him, teasing him.

The winter dance was a time students at Dalton would invite their family and showcase their work, the Warblers traditionally performing the music. Most students looked forward to the event as, because they boarded, not many saw their families too often, especially as most parents were usually busy people who owned large companies. But the winter dance, they'd always clear room for on their calendars, knowing the importance of the tradition to their sons.

Blaine was the exception to this.

Instead of his parents attending, he only ever saw his brother, Cooper, at anything like the dance, that was, unless his father needed him for a work gathering to portray him better as a family man. Blaine was only wanted when his father needed something.

This was why Blaine had been pulled out of lessons. This year, unlike any other, he'd been informed that his father would actually be coming to the dance. And to be honest, Blaine didn't know what to do.

This was the man who had practically abandoned him after he came out, forcing Blaine to rely on Cooper and therefore forcing a lot more responsibility on his older brother's shoulders than he should have had to deal with. His father had, in Blaine's opinion, disowned him, so why did he want to get to know him now?

The dark haired boy rolled over on his side in his bed, slowly sinking into a restless sleep.

* * *

The alarm beeped loudly from underneath the boy's pillow, sounding almost deafening in contrast to the heavy silence that surrounded him. In truth, he'd never really been asleep, instead mentally going over the layout of the school. He and his brother had each decided to tackle one house each tonight, leaving the other two for tomorrow. Fors was tackling Windsor, he would be attempting Lincoln. That way, it would leave Kennedy and Thatcher, the two easiest to break into, for later.

"Fors? You ready?"

"I think so," -a shuffling noise as the often boy checker his bag quickly, "yep. You?"

"Yeah," Theo had already checked his several times and had everything he could think of- a torch, paper clips, the essentials. "And remember, you're only in trouble if you get caught- so don't let anyone catch you."

"I know, and make sure you avoid leaving any footprints or anything."

"Yep.. do you wanna go now?"

"Guess it's as good time as any- let's go."

Both boys pulled on their matching, black, tight gloves. They weren't criminals, and had no aspiration to be, but when the two knew what they wanted, not even a little drawback like their activities being illegal would stop them.

A short while later, Theo was standing outside the Lincoln's building. He doubted Blaine would fall in love with anyone in there, in fact, he'd be slightly disappointed if the other boy did- everyone in Lincoln couldn't be trusted. And that wasn't a stereotype, it was truth. He sighed quietly and pulled out his torch, slinging his backpack over his shoulder afterwards and beginning to scout around the grounds. Security cameras weren't a problem, the twins had already disarmed them. It surprised them how easy it had been compared to others and made them question just how safe the school actually was. They'd shrugged it off though, it was something they had talent at.

It didn't take very long before Theo managed to find an entrance. Unlike his brother, he disliked using the front door, knowing that there was a bigger chance of him getting caught that way as the doors at the front gave off a loud squeaking noise whenever it was opened. This was due to him and Fors getting annoyed by one of them- they'd forgotten who- and rubbing a concoction they'd made into the joints. It was because Theo remembered little things like this he'd chosen to search Lincoln. He knew there was less chance of him getting caught.

Looking around in the darkness and listening for anyone who could be near, Theo slipped his hand into his pocket, pulling out two paper clips and unfolding them, one slightly longer than the other. After a few quick twists, the lock opened and the side door easily opened at the touch of his hand.

Inside it was pitch black, but turned off his light having turned it on so he could see whilst he was picking the lock. He already knew his way around backwards, having broken in many times before to rescue objects the Lincolns had taken from the boys in Windsor, or because of simply 'borrowing' a few of their possessions for blackmailing purposes. Of course, they never actually took them, the twins were too clever for that, instead they hid them somewhere in the building so they were never caught. Or at least, nobody would have any evidence against them. Silently, Theo moved up the stairs and began to scout the building, moving as stealthily as a ninja.

* * *

Fors wasn't having much luck finding another pair of Kurt's shoes that belonged to someone else. He'd already searched the entire west wing, surprised when he found most of the boys slept with their doors unlocked. That was good, it meant he didn't have to keep messing about picking locks. However, it did raise the question that he wasn't doing enough to scare them into locking them.

He walked over to the west wing, the process repeating, but still, he found no other shoes. But he did find the snake that had eventually turned out to be a slow worm curled up beside Roddy and Kurt and Blaine sat in bed together, watching a movie Fors guessed to be Disney. He didn't need to check that room, knowing that the two in there were either already a suspect, or the boy who had fallen in love.

Smiling, he slipped back into his room, sitting on his bed with full intention of staying up until Theo got back so he could check he was safe and compare notes. Unfortunately, sleep was very persistent and, without his permission, Fors found himself being pulled into its grasp.

* * *

Theo was on the top floor of Lincoln when he found it. Not the shoes he'd been looking for, but something the teenager found even more intriguing. It was a double dorm, identical to the rest unlike the dorms in Windsor. A single boy lay in the bed, wrapped in blankets with his mouth falling open unattractively. He reminded Theo slightly of a hippo.

Ignoring the putrid odour radiating from the boy Theo now deemed to be one of Harrison's cronies, a sidekick he used a lot when bullying other kids. But this drooling oaf hadn't been what had drawn Theo into the room, it was something else, something Theo couldn't put his his finger on.

Then, it clicked.

In the Lincoln rooms, everything was always a carbon copy of the other rooms.. so why did this room have an extra closet? He was sure Tweedle Dumb didn't need three for his clothes. Without a second glance, Theo took a swift few steps over to the wardrobe, pulling the doors to find they were locked.

"_Curiouser and curiouser,_" whispered Theo, quoting Alice in Wonderland as his eyebrows raised, surprised. He pulled out his paper clips, undoing the padlock in around a minute. It was a weird place for a lock like this. It was a heavy duty one, quite unlike the usual, cheap ones Theo was used to. He paused for a moment, flipping the weight over in his hand inquisitively before placing it beside him on a nearby table. He opened the door. And felt his jaw fall wide open.

Inside, there were no clothes, but there were pictures. Hundreds, thousands, each a different size and shape, pinned to the back wall in layers. But one thing they all had in common? It was the same boy in each.

The same eyes.

The same gelled hair.

The same dress sense.

It was as if someone had made it their duty to capture every movement of this boy and use him as their own little project. There were pictures here Theo even recognized, they were recent, only happening a few days ago. One from last Monday when Blaine had lost against Wes in a game of snakes and ladders. One of Blaine asleep in his room, a laptop lying next to him. There was even one showing what Blaine had eaten for breakfast yesterday.

As Theo looked closer, he saw the dates went back to at least his fifth birthday, judging by the amount of candles on his cake. It looked like a family photo, it had his mother and Cooper behind him, leaning in next to him and smiling as he blew out his candles. It must have been stolen from some kind of family album.

And it made Theo sick.

One particular image stood out to Theo in the top corner. At least, it wasn't an image as such, more a private memo to the owner of the closet. It was what appeared to be a phone number, a name scrawled above it in almost unreadable calligraphy. So bad, that Theo could only work out the first letter, a K.

Suddenly, a floorboard creaked behind him, warning him he'd been spotted. For fear of whoever it was discovering his identity, Theo couldn't turn around, but instead tried to work out the quickest way out with the door blocked. His thought stream came to a quick halt though as his head was filled with a violent pain, blurring his vision. He fell to his knees, clutching at his skull as it dawned on him whoever had seen him must have hit him with something. Luckily, he had fallen facing away from his assailant so his identity was still protected.

"Hasn't anyone ever told you bad things come to those who are nosy? Because now I really can't let you go."

He shuddered at the thought of what that could mean.

The words rang louder in Theo's head than he cared to admit, but as he got more and more used to the pain, he realised he recognised the menacing voice.

"Now.." a hand was placed on Theo's shoulder, "I wonder who you are..?"

But before the hand could twist the dark haired teenager around, the boy quickly rolled away from the attacker, getting near the only exit that wasn't blocked: the window.

Without even opening the glass, Theo ran at the window, stage diving through the hole into the darkness outside.

A feeble miss for a guttering pipe.

A lost grab for the fire exit ladder.

_Falling._

Adrenaline pumping through his veins, Theo made one last grab for something, anything, to slow him down. After what felt like a lifetime, he managed to make a swipe at a window ledge, the speed he was falling making him unable to stop, but enough time for him to swing himself towards a bit of roofing which stuck out slightly. He hit it with a thud but luckily didn't hear any crunching sounds from any of his bones breaking. He rolled sideways across the roof, getting pieces of moss stuck in his hair as he did so, but thankfully, it gave him enough time for his free running skills to kick into action.

He was unpractised, but he made use of whatever few skills he'd managed to learn. His older brother, Timon- or Timmy as he liked to be called, had taught him most of it. Or at least, started to teach him them. A few days after they started, he was called in for some business in New Delhi and hadn't been seen since. Missing in action the government had told them. But you could tell by their eyes he was presumed dead.

That was why he and Fors never spoke about him. It hurt.

Finally, with an almost sickening thud, Theo hit the ground, rolling forward so he didn't break his legs. The fall had felt like a lifetime, when, in truth, it had been a matter of seconds. The boy winced as he slowly pulled himself to his feet and limped away, knowing Blaine now had to be protected, he doubted his assailant had meant sending him on a holiday vacation to Spain when he'd said he 'couldn't let him go'. Gritting his teeth, he squinted in the darkness to see his way.

He didn't return until sunrise.


	30. Assembly

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

* * *

The next morning, Blaine woke up earlier than usual, a rare thing for him. He rolled over in his bed, checking if Kurt was okay before he realised what he was doing- it was a habit that Blaine had got into, but he didn't particularly mind. Caring for his friends was part of his nature. He rolled onto his back, staring up into the darkness as he stifled a groan with a roll of his eyes. He'd remembered what had woken him up.

Blaine refused to call it a nightmare; it wasn't a dream that had made him wake up. It had been a thought, a fact, to be precise. And it started with the words 'winter' and 'dance'. Or, more accurately spelt- his father.

He'd be attending.

Which meant Blaine was completely at loss for what to expect- he guessed he would have to talk to the man, but he knew if he acted too differently, his friends would pick up in seconds. But, when Blaine had gone to public school, his father had been very particular about Blaine's ways, cracking down even harder when he came out. So was he expected to pretend to be quiet and still hold respect for the man who'd lost it long ago? He let out a confused sigh, jumping slightly when Kurt began to stir beside him. Quickly, Blaine lay still, silencing the room with the exception of Kurt's breathing. The other boy rolled over, sinking back into a deep sleep which Blaine, almost an hour later, joined.

The next time both boys awoke was to a shark knocking on their dorm door, the sound instantly making Kurt leap to his feet, eyes wide like a deer caught in headlights. Although the boys had fallen to sleep together now many times after their weekly film, they'd never been woken up to a door banging- especially as they usually hosted them at the weekend. It was a Friday today, exactly a week before the winter dance, but, somehow, neither boy had remembered to set their alarms. Blaine flicked his eyes to his bedside table, reading his clock: 8:45. Ah- school started in about a quarter of an hour.

"Blaine? Kurt? There's an assembly in the hall in half an hour- are you up?"

Blaine cursed under his breath, biting his tongue as he saw Kurt flinch slightly. But at the same time, he was proud of the boy; usually, his jump would have been much more prominent. But, nowadays, not so much around him, and Blaine was honoured to be held with this kind of trust.

"Well hurry up! You'll end up with detentions if you're late."

"Okay!" Blaine shouted back, climbing to his feet and quickly exchanging looks with Kurt. And with that look, both boys agreed to get changed as quick as they could along with where they would- Kurt taking the bathroom whilst Blaine changed in the bedroom.

* * *

Ten minutes later, both boys were downstairs, lingering outside the assembly hall with the other scholars as they waited for the doors to open. In one hand, Kurt held a snack bar, Blaine having forced him to take it so he didn't miss out on breakfast. Kurt had frowned but begrudgingly accepted it, hesitant as the other boy only seemed to have one and, if he ate it, what would Blaine eat?

Of course, Blaine had diminished this thought with a wave of his hand, telling him that was wasn't very hungry anyway. But Kurt could still hear the other boy's stomach rumbling.

Blaine smiled as he saw Kurt beginning to eat the snack, encouraging him then continue. Sure, he was hungry, but it wasn't as if he hadn't gone longer without eating. After when he'd first come out to his dad, he'd avoided him for ages, only really eating lunch as any other meal he'd have to eat with the older man. Besides, it wouldn't do him any harm to skip a meal- he'd make sure that he'd simply eat more at lunch. Kurt meanwhile didn't seem to like eating more than his usual salad, something Blaine was intent on changing, and if he skipped a meal, he'd have no reserves to run on.

"Hey Fors," greeted Blaine as the boy appeared by them. Fors gave him a weak smile before going to stand in the corner, watching Blaine out of the corner of his eye. The jet black haired boy had made it his mission to find whoever was stalking Blaine; whoever had hurt his brother. It didn't mean he had to look happy whilst he did it though. Or be happy.

"What's up with Fors?" Blaine wondered aloud, turning back to Kurt and finding the cereal bar was nearly finished.

"You haven't heard?"

Blaine looked around to see Wes now next to him, David in tow.

"No?"

"Apparently Theo's ill- a fever or something."

"But c'mon," cut in David, "when has one of them ever been ill and not the other? Never, that's when. They're inseparable, and, according to Jacob, Theo had locked the door so the nurse couldn't get in. Fors is the only one who can, but, because of the barricade, he's using his usual way of getting around. Which means no one else can follow."

"But if Theo's ill, why isn't Fors with him now?" Blaine asked, sending Fors a not-so-subtle, worried look from across the hall. The teen stared back, his face blank of emotion.

"I don't know," replied Wes, "I hope they're okay."

"Me too."

Just then, the doors to the hall opened and the group were caught up in the move towards the large room, each trying to get decent seats near eachother.

* * *

The assembly was on the winter dance; the arrangements, the timings, even the music options. The warblers were to start it up, performing three songs of their choice and afterwards, it would be a DJ for the main event. At the end, the warblers were to do the finale, again, the song of their choice but preferably one of a good beat. On each of the options, the scholars held a vote- it was tradition for The Dean to do this. It allowed the students to have their say, and often he found their ideas were better than his own.

However, throughout all of this, Blaine was distracted by Fors. He had taken a seat next to Blaine without any hesitation when they came in, Kurt taking Blaine's other side. The twin didn't seem to have been paying attention to the man at all though. In fact, during the whole of the time the head teacher had been talking, the boy had had his head bowed, looking from a distance as if he was in prayer. However, if you looked closer, you could spot the glow from his mobile along with the rough outline of something else, also rectangular, under his jumper. Fors didn't seem to be concentrating at all.

Blaine nudged him with his elbow quickly as The Dean started to talk about the general rules: no spiking the drinks, no creating a mockery of the school, no disrespecting the parents- the usual rules the boys at Dalton wouldn't dream of breaking. Well, all of them with maybe the exception of two. Fors looked up at Blaine, looking around the room, suddenly alert.

"What?" Fors mouthed back.

Ever since Theo had told him about Blaine's stalker, he'd been worried Blaine might get hurt, especially after whoever it was knew at least one other person knew his secret. Theo hadn't been able to tell him who it was for definite although he did say that whoever it was probably roomed with Jason- a large, malodorous creature they often referred to as 'tweedle dumb'. Fors would hazard a guess at the stalker being Harrison, or his other sidekick- but Fors could see no reason for it to be them. They simply lacked motive, not even considering their low- levelled expertise. Fors would have to have a scout around to find out who it definitely was, and after what had happened to Theo, he wasn't too keen to do that.

Blaine nodded towards the front, telling him wordlessly that he should listen. Fors shrugged and turned back to his phone, texting his brother for the fifth time in less than an hour to check if he was okay. Each time he received the usual 'I'm fine, stop worrying', but he didn't believe him. He blamed himself, he should be the one in bed with a sprained ankle and bruised ribs. He'd do anything to be the hurt one with cuts on his face; he'd do anything to help his brother.

Blaine sighed and turned back to the front, smiling when he found Kurt looking at him. He bumped the other teen's shoulder lightly with his own, a friendly gesture that had developed between them. Kurt broke into a grin as well before they both started listening again, a tiny smile flickering on Fors' face as he glanced up, spotting the pair smiling before they turned back to the front. They were both oblivious little idiots, and, if he wasn't so worried for his brother, he would have found it adorable.

At the end of the assembly, the warblers were held back, extra rehearsals being held during lesson time now nobody had any tests or anything.

"See you at lunch?" Blaine asked before Kurt departed, looking up at the said boy with unneeded puppy eyes. Kurt nodded in agreement before smiling goodbye and walking off to his first class, pulling his blazer sleeves over his hands and feeling more self conscious without Blaine. Wanting to get out of the corridors as quick as he could, he sped up his walk.

Meanwhile, Blaine had moved to the front of the assembly hall, looking up at Thad, David and Wes who were standing on the higher platform. As the warbler council began to talk about the group numbers and solos, Blaine was surprised to see Fors hadn't left yet. He was a warbler, but Blaine would have guessed he would he would have left to see Theo.

"Anyway, so we have four performances to learn which means four songs. However, this does not mean there is already a set number of soloists- if you want to audition for a lead, please go sit on the left side of the hall, if you don't, please proceed to the right."

Wes smiled when he saw the majority moving to the left. The higher the amount of people who auditioned, generally the better quality of vocals they receive as each boy would try so hard to win. The three moved to take seats in the audience as he waved the first person on stage.


	31. Surprise Bitch

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. And sorry for this chapter.. Oh, and the songs (in order) are Hey Soul Sister by Train, Raise Your Glass by P!nk and There's a Good Reason These Tables Are Numbered Honey, You Just Haven't Thought Of It Yet by Panic! at the Disco :)**

* * *

One week until the winter dance.

Six days.

Five.

Four.

Three.

Two.

One day.

It was the morning of the winter dance; red and silver decorations stretched across the (previously) assembly hall's ceiling, each line of tinsel looping around the central chandelier and forming a pattern between the two colours as they hung elegantly to the walls. Two christmas trees, each vast in size as the stood in the corners opposite the stage, reached up until they brushed against the hanging embellishments. Both were carefully decorated, similar, yet each still managing to be unique to themselves. In the middle, between the two trees, DJ equipment had been set up, the wide, powerful speakers looking underdressed in contrast to the rest of the room. On the stage, the warblers were beginning their final run through before they had to all separate to their own devices until seven o'clock later in the evening. Blaine, having three solos, was looking forward to resting his voice and his mind before having to perform, to the audience during his singing, and possibly his father through acting.

* * *

_Today was the day. Ever since he'd first heard of where he'd gone, he'd been planning what he'd do._

_He smirked._

_Just like a spider, all he'd need to do was wait for the fly to walk unsuspectingly into his web; then he'd pounce. The male had originally hoped that the time at Dalton would have given his prey back a sense of security, it'd make it easier to catch him, more fun too. It was only moments after this thought though that he realized he didn't care._

* * *

When Blaine eventually found Kurt after practice, the porcelain teen was pacing the entrance to Windsor, wearing a hole in the carpet. The wait to see if his family would arrive was killing him.

"Hey, it'll be alright. They'll come Kurt."

Kurt spun around, smiling at Blaine as he noticed his best friend. He shrugged his shoulders, nodding his head as he tried his best to believe Blaine. He pulled out his paper.

'_But what if they don't? I haven't seen them in months, Blaine. What if they've forgotten me?'_

"Do you really think that?"

Kurt shrugged again, this time not meeting the other boy's eyes.

"Kurt, I doubt anyone could forget you even if they tried, though I have no idea why they'd want to. You're amazing, Kurt- I don't see how you don't realise that."

'_Well you are always hogging the mirror for your gel, so_..'

Blaine grinned, loving that Kurt trusted him enough to make fun of his hair, "well not everyone can have hair that's naturally perfect."

Kurt nudged Blaine's arm lightly in reply, smiling at the fact that they both knew it wasn't perfect. Or at least, that was what Kurt thought.

"Umm, Kurt? I think that man's calling you..?"

The said boy looked up from his unintended staring at Blaine. Was that his dad?

"Kurt!"

The pale boy looked up at the teen next to him, wordlessly asking whether he was dreaming or not. With a smile, Blaine nodded and Kurt's eyes widened excitedly before bounding into his father's open arms which were now only about a metre away. Behind the hugging pair walked the giant of a boy Blaine recognised to be Finn and a motherly looking woman Blaine had never met. When they caught up with Kurt's dad, Kurt eventually broke away, hugging them as well before sliding back to his dad's side, happy tears slipping down his face as he looked back at Blaine. His father followed his gaze and noticed Blaine, possibly for the first time as he had seemed to had eyes for Kurt only.

"Hi," said Blaine awkwardly, "I was just waiting with Kurt, um- I'll leave you alone now?" Blaine looked over at Kurt, looking for some sign that he wanted him to go or stay.

"Oh don't go on our account," the woman Blaine guessed to be Kurt's mother said, "it's nice to meet any friend of Kurt's. I'm Carole, Kurt's step mum."

"Pleasure to meet you, my name's Blaine," he replied, holding out his hand politely which the woman then shook, "but really, I know Kurt's been waiting to see you for ages, I don't want to disrupt you."

"If you're sure?"

"Of course, I'll see you later Kurt?"

Kurt grinned and nodded.

As Blaine walked back into the entrance hall, he was surprised by just how many parents had arrived already. In one corner stood Jeff with his parents who seemed to be fussing over the boy's uniform. His mother seemed adamant that his uniform was crumpled when Blaine knew for a fact it had been ironed this morning whilst, as Blaine overheard as he walked past them, his father appeared to be asking about his grades, wondering why his grade in French was an A instead of an A*. In another corner, Roddy was talking to his dad and watching with wide eyes at the monkey that sat on the man's shoulder, leaning over and chattering into Roddy's ear. From what Blaine could hear, they were discussing the best foods to attract certain animals. Both father and child shared a profound bond with animals and they were definitely a sight to see. Another pair arrived, although Blaine didn't recognize them or who they belonged to. He sighed before deciding to hunt out Nick, hoping he could get him to save Jeff from his parents.

The first place he checked was the commons after hearing laughter coming from the room. Curiously, he opened the door and for a moment, just stood with his eyebrows raised.

Inside, Theo and Fors were running around whilst a man Blaine recognized chased them, having obviously stolen a water pistol from one of the twins. The other lay forgotten in the corner. Suddenly, Theo ran towards him, ducking as a stream of water followed, missing him and hitting Blaine instead.

"Oops, sor- Squirt!"

"What?" Blaine asked, wiping the water out of his eyes, "Coop?"

"Heya bro!"

The man jumped forward, sweeping Blaine into a hug and ruffling his hair as Blaine tried to squirm away.

"Coop! Get off!"

"What?" Cooper asked, eyebrows raised innocently whilst the corners of his mouth struggled to remain straight. "And jeez Blaine, lay off the gel," he complained, wiping his hand on his trousers.

"We've told him that before," remarked Fors, tilting his head.

"Even hid his entire supply of hair gel- even his emergency supply- didn't work though," agreed Theo.

"Did you get his back up emergency supply? Seriously, when we were younger, he'd-"

"_Coop_!"

"_Squirt_!" Cooper mimicked.

"Funny- but you agreed no telling your stories."

"I lied- just like that time you pretended to lose your voice so you didn't have to kiss that girl in your school play."

"I was six, Coop!"

"Of course you were."

* * *

_Seven o'clock._

_He'd been waiting all day, waiting months in fact. It all came down to the next few hours, then he'd get him. _

_It hadn't been easy, and he wasn't going pretend it had. He hadn't had a decent sleep in weeks, having to keep moving so the police didn't find him. After the first two months, the search had died down, but he knew it would be foolish to let his guard down. Keep the eyes on the prize, he told himself, but don't ever stop checking his surroundings and hiding his tracks._

* * *

"He's not going to come, is he?"

Blaine and Cooper stood together in the transformed assembly hall, which was by now filled with hundreds of other students and families. It was ten minutes until Blaine was due to take the lead in their opening number- Hey Soul Sister, by Train- and their father still hadn't arrived. He always liked to make an entrance and Blaine guessed this was just another way to show his control over Blaine.

"He will," replied Cooper, trying to act like he was sure even though he honestly had no idea, "...do you want him to?"

"..Is it bad that I'm not sure?"

Cooper didn't answer but instead furrowed his eyebrows curiously.

"Coop, the last time I saw him was when I had to go home for Christmas and, until you got there, he pretty much ignored me and I ended up spending most of my time in my room."

"He might have changed?"

"Precisely! What if he has? Am I supposed to act like we're friends? Should I avoid him altogether? Does he expect me to just play happy families with him? I just- I don't know what to do."

"Squirt, let me give you some advice you'll probably forget in seconds or laugh at: be yourself. If you pretend to be something you're not, then you're not being true to yourself- you shouldn't have to change for dad. It's not your job to earn his love, it's his job to earn yours."

Blaine raised his eyebrows, trying to lighten the mood, "so which play did you rip that off of?"

"Shut up."

"Blaine! Curtain's up in five- Wes wants you so he can go over the set list one more time," called Nick as he passed, Jeff beside him, both heading to the stage area.

"Coming! See you after Coop?"

"You betcha! And don't forget to smile!" He shouted after Blaine as the boy jogged after Nick and Jeff.

The opening notes from the other warblers started up around Blaine as he stood in position on stage. He put on a large smile as he saw Cooper desperately pointing at his mouth and wished it to be real. His father still wasn't there. Taking a deep breath, he fell into the music.

_Heeey, Heeeeey, Heeeeeey._

_Your lipstick stains, on the front lobe of my left side brains,_

_I knew I wouldn't forget ya, and so I went and let you blow my mind._

Blaine's eyes travelled as he danced, meeting Kurt's as he watched with his family. The pale boy looked so happy and Blaine felt an odd, almost pull of the heart. He'd always known Kurt was pretty, but it never occurred to him until now just quite how beautiful this boy was.

_Your sweet moon-beam, the smell of you in every single dream I dream._

_I knew when we collided, you're the one I have decided,_

_Who's one of my kind._

He blushed as he realised he was still staring and turned, allowing the pumping adrenaline to take over more.

_Hey, Soul Sister, ain't that mister mister on the radio, stereo,_

_The way you move ain't fair you know._

_Hey, Soul Sister, I don't wanna miss a single thing you dooooo..._

_Tonight._

He allowed his eyes to search again but his father still wasn't there. He wasn't coming.

_Way you can cut a rug,_

_Watching you's the only drug I need._

_So gangster, I'm so thug,_

_You're the only one I'm dreaming of you see._

_I can be myself now finally,_

_In fact there's nothing I can't be,_

_I want the world to see you be, with me,_

_Hey, Soul Sister, ain't that mister mister on the radio, stereo,_

_The way you move ain't fair you know._

_Hey, Soul Sister, I don't wanna miss a single thing you do tonight..._

Cooper's smile caught his attention and Blaine grinned back, before his eyes rested on Kurt again. What was happening to him?

_Hey, Soul Sister, I don't wanna miss a single thing you dooooo..._

_Tonight._

_Heeey, Heeeeey, Heeeeeey, tonight._

_Heeey, Heeeeey, Heeeeeey._

_Tonight_

A deafening applause followed, his brother's cheering louder than anyone else's. Blaine looked back over and immediately his breath caught in his throat. His dad was there.

Luckily for him, the next song he didn't have a big part in so it wasn't too noticeable when he missed his queue. He forced a smile and started to sing the back up as Nick, Jeff, David and Trent each took the stage.

* * *

"That Blaine kid was looking at you a lot during that last song," said Finn loudly as four boys took lead in a rendition of _'Get this party started' by P!nk_. "Do you want me to threaten him?"

"Finn!" Carole scolded from next to him- she too had noticed it and wanted to ask Kurt on it but was taken aback by Finn's implied violence. She really needed to start limiting his game time.

"What?"

Carole frowned at her boy's curiosity to what he'd supposedly said wrong but inwardly gave a motherly smile, proud at how willing he was to defend his brother.

Kurt meanwhile, showed his smile and gave Finn a hug, thanking him for his quick defence although he knew Blaine would never hurt him.

'_Blaine's my friend_,' wrote down Kurt, showing Finn before he started on a 'keep away from my brother' speech. Not like the taller boy hadn't done it before. Or at least, nearly.

"Oh." Finn tilted his head, "but he's your roommate too? So is he just a friend?"

"Finn!"

Finn's eyes flicked between Burt and Carole who were both shooting him looks which clearly meant he should shut up. Kurt had flinched at Finn's bluntness, choosing to pick at his blazer and bit his lip. They weren't dating, but, due to the amount he relied on Blaine, he knew it could be thought they were.

Kurt wasn't sure if he minded this or not.

The song finished and the boys onstage moved positions again, falling into formation easily. It was their last until the finale so they'd decided on their best crowd pleaser, one that would, to quote the last song, 'get the party started'.

_Right, right, turn off the lights_

_We're gonna lose our minds tonight_

_What's the deal, yo?_

_I love when it's all too much_

_5 a.m. turn the radio up_

_Where's the rock 'n roll?_

_Party crasher, panty snatcher_

_Call me up if you're a gangsta_

_Don't be fancy, just get dancy_

_Why so serious?_

_So raise your glass if you are wrong_

_In all the right ways, all my underdogs_

_We will never be, never be anything but loud_

_And nitty, gritty, dirty, little freaks_

_Won't you come on and come on and_

_Raise your glass!_

_Just come on and come on and_

_Raise your glass!_

A whoop from the audience led Blaine to spot Cooper again in the crowd. He didn't notice his father next to him, and if he did, he was too happy to currently care about how he felt seeing his son dancing and singing onstage.

_So if you're too school for cool_

_And you're treated like a fool_

_You can choose to let it go_

_We can always, we can always party on our own_

_So raise your_

_So raise your glass if you are wrong_

_In all the right ways, all my underdogs_

_We will never be, never be anything but loud_

_And nitty, gritty, dirty, little freaks_

_(So raise your glass if you are wrong)_

_So raise your glass if you are wrong_

Blaine sang and danced around the stage, his worries abandoned as he got more into the song.

_In all the right ways, all my underdogs_

_We will never be, never be anything but loud_

_And nitty, gritty, dirty, little freaks_

_Won't you come on and come on and_

_Raise your glass!_

_Just come on and come on and_

_Raise your glass!_

_Won't you come on and come on and_

_Raise your glass for me!_

_Just come on and come on and_

_Raise your glass for me!_

_For me_

Blaine grinned into the applause, heart pumping adrenaline as he fell back in line, bowing with the other warblers. They clapped the audience back before climbing off the stage, laughing and clapping eachother on the back as they did so.

"Blaine!"

The said boy turned around from high fiving Wes only to find himself being lifted into the air but his older brother.

"Coop!" Blaine whined, struggling to be put down. It was a habit his brother never really grew out of and it was annoying, to say least. Unfortunately though, it didn't appear Blaine was going to grow much more so he'd long since given up hope he'd get to big to be lifted.

"You did great squirt! Although I couldn't help noticing you stared in one direction for rather long? I could help you with that- what you need to do, is-"

Someone cleared their throat behind Cooper.

"Oh, er- right. Umm, dad's arrived," said the tall male awkwardly.

"Hi Blaine."

"Father."

A pause.

"I liked your performance, it definitely kicked off the party. However, being in the warblers isn't impacting your studies, is it? Because studies-"

"It's not."

"Okay."

Another pause.

"Are you working well?"

"Yes sir."

"Good."

Cooper cleared his throat and Blaine looked up, silently begging him to change the conversation. In return, his brother shot him a smile.

"Well, I think Theo's trying to get my attention, I'd better go. Be back soon!"

And with that, Cooper walked off before Blaine could stop him and the boy was left to shoot daggers at his back. He'd told Blaine he wouldn't leave him alone with dad- the liar!

"So are you coming home this Christmas?" His dad eventually asked, interrupting Blaine's deadly glare.

"Probably not- I have quite a bit of work to do so I was thinking I might stay with Wes." Again.

"Oh. You know you're always welcome at home? Christmas isn't the same without you," the older man coughed, somewhat awkwardly. Blaine stared up, confused.

"And what's your real motive?" Blaine asked, suddenly tired of always seeming to be being used by his dad. He knew he didn't really want him at his house.

"Why would I have any other reason than the fact I haven't seen you in ages?"

"Last time we 'hung out' was when I first came out and you decided to build a car with me. So I'm sorry if I'd prefer to spend my Christmas without someone attempting to change my sexual orientation."

"Wait, you think rebuilding that car was my way of trying to turn you straight?"

Blaine nodded, long since accepting this and so the bluntness of the question didn't bother him. He was just waiting for his father to confirm his suspicions.

"Blaine I- I never thought- it wasn't like that."

"Really? Then what was it like," asked Blaine bitingly, all pretence of manners disappearing as he waited for the lies.

"I thought we could bond over it. After Sadie Hawkins, you were so.. withdrawn would probably be the right word. I thought it would be a way to stop you avoiding me- but I guess it only did make it worse."

Blaine frowned, unprepared for what his dad was saying.

"Blaine, honestly, I never wanted to, or intended to, try and turn you. I'm sorry you ever thought of it that way- it was never meant to be... Was this why you never come home for holidays for more than a week?"

Blaine shrugged, still getting his head around the idea that his father didn't hate him.

"I thought you stopped loving me," he eventually whispered only to find himself being pulled into a hug.

"I could never."

"Wait, no. I split up your and mum's marriage-"

"No you didn't. It was mine and her choice. If I didn't want to live with someone who only loved their children for their sexuality, then that's not your problem."

"But-"

"Blaine."

"But-"

"No."

"So, wondering why dad's so open about it now, squirt?"

Blaine turned to see Cooper popping up beside him, speaking loudly over the music which had suddenly gained in volume. However, there was nobody by the speakers but Blaine shrugged it off.

"Cooper-" their dad said warningly, covering his face with a hand.

"Because I like to think I had something to do with it."

"Why, what did you do?" Blaine asked curiously.

"Took him to a gay bar."

Cooper's chest puffed out like a proud peacock as he announced this, smiling his signature grin. It remained unfazed as Blaine started splattering for two reasons.

A) because really, his father at a gay bar? He really couldn't imagine it, and also, b) because if Cooper took him, that meant he was there too. Blaine couldn't help but feel slightly sorry for the men when they found out his brother was straight.

"Oh, you think that's funny? Wait 'til you hear about how he got bought more drinks that me! Seriously, by the end of the night, he had at least ten different guy's numbers."

* * *

_Phase one of his plan was easy, and he carried it through even easier. It was simple, yet ingenious: turning up the music. It was such a tiny thing, yet the man knew it could make a vital difference. With loud music in the hall, there was less chance of anyone being heard if they screamed._

_Next, came the more complicated part._

* * *

Somehow, after the talk with his dad, Blaine eventually found himself face to face with Kurt, smiling at the happy boy. It was a smile that lit up the room, or at least, from Blaine's perspective; it was clear just how much he loved his dad. Although the other boy's thoughts had never really been a mystery to him.

"Kurt! How are you? Did you like our performance?"

Kurt nodded, flipping open his book and, if possible, grinning wider.

'_I loved it! You were great!'_

"Yeah," interrupted Finn, "It's a good thing Rachel isn't here although, y'know, she did want to see Kurt."

Kurt rolled his eyes at the lie; he knew most of his old glee group hated him.

"Who's Rachel?"

"She's my girlfriend- she's great! And her-"

"Finn Hudson! I hope you're not going to say what I think you're going to say?"

"What did you think I was gonna say? I was talking about her- erm," Finn looked around for inspiration, finally landing on Blaine's feet, "shoes! Yeah, shoes."

"Of course. Anyway, I think I can see a teacher over there, I want to talk to him about the food- c'mon."

"Aww, mum. Can't I stay here?"

"Nope, come on, it's only a short walk anyway."

Finn groaned but followed his mother; Blaine swore she winked at him as they left the pair alone.

"Y'know, I didn't say this earlier, but you look lovely today."

Kurt smiled; he had earlier added a broach to his uniform, it was old, but it was still one of they boy's favourites.

'_Thanks_,' wrote Kurt, barely looking at the paper as he continued to find himself lost in the hazel eyes, '_you too. In fact, I seem to remember seeing your outfit somewhere else... maybe it was the mirror?'_

Blaine grinned at the joke, they were both still in their school uniforms.

"So, it's getting kinda hot in here- would you like to go find the drinks? I hear the punch this year is to die for."

_'I'd love to.'_

An hour later, the music was blasting louder in their ears as someone stood confidently on stage, apparently about to hold an impromptu performance. The leather clad male appeared to be drunk, clasping a cup of orange liquid that could be identified as punch in his left hand.

_Please, leave all overcoats, canes and top hats with the doorman_

_From that moment, you'll be out of place and under dressed_

_I'm wrecking this evening already and loving every minute of it_

_Ruining this banquet for the mildly inspiring and_

His spare hand was held out in front of him, as if to steady him whilst he blinked heavily at the bright lights. Across the room, Burt spotted his wife, fighting his way through the crowds to get to her.

_Please, leave all overcoats, canes and top hats with the doorman_

_From that moment, you'll be out of place and under dressed_

_I'm wrecking this evening already and loving every minute of it_

_Ruining this banquet for the mildly inspiring and_

When the pair eventually met, Burt's expression quickly changed from one of happiness to surprise.

"Where's Kurt?"

_When you're in black slacks with accentuating_

_Off-white, pinstripes, woah-oh_

_Everything goes according to plan_

Carole looked around, only managing to spot one of her sons who was currently piling pizza onto a plate.

"He was with Blaine. I think they went to get punch, but-"

_I'm the new cancer_

_Never looked better, you can't stand it_

_Because you say so under your breath_

_Your reading lips, "When did he get all confident?"_

_Haven't you heard that I'm the new cancer?_

_Never looked better and you can't stand it_

"But what?"

"That was an hour ago; they should be back by now."

Burt's eyes widened with worry as he continued to search the room with his eyes., "so where are they then?"

_Next is a trip to the, the ladies room in vain and_

_I bet you just can't keep up with, with these fashionistas and_

_Tonight, tonight, you are, you are a whispering campaign_

_I bet to them, your name is "Cheap"_

_I bet to them you look like sh-_

Three teachers were now chasing the singer, who had responded in leaping off the stage and onto a food table, carefully avoiding the food below.

Burt however, didn't notice any of this, to busy wondering where his boy was.

"Burt, calm down- your heart! I'm sure Kurt's safe with Blaine somewhere. It's not like we were followed here."

_Talk to the mirror, oh, choke back tears_

_And keep telling yourself that,"I'm a diva"_

_Oh and the smokes in that cigarette box_

_On the table, they just so happen to be laced with nitroglycerin_

Suddenly, someone tapped Carole on the shoulder, letting out a breath as she recognized it to be Blaine's older brother.

"Hey, are you Kurt's parents?"

"Yeah-"

"Have you seen Blaine? I can't find him anywhere."

"What?"

_I'm the new cancer_

_Never looked better, you can't stand it_

_Because you say so under your breath_

_You're reading lips, "When did he get all confident?"_

_Haven't you heard that I'm the new cancer?_

_Never looked better and you can't stand it_

"Blaine?" Cooper repeated, getting more desperate as every second ticked by.

"Blaine's missing? So's Kurt."

"Shi- do you have any idea where they could be. Crap, what if they're hurt? I can't let that happen to Blaine, not again."

_Haven't you heard that I'm the new cancer?_

_I've never looked better and you can't stand it_

_Haven't you heard that I'm the new cancer?_

_I've never looked better and you can't stand it_

"Okay, you need to calm down," Carole said, "what's your name?"

"Cooper. Cooper Anderson."

"Right, Cooper, and you too Burt, you can't jump to the worst. They probably just stepped outside for some air," said Carole although inwardly she was freaking out.

_And I know and I know, it just doesn't feel like_

_A night out with no one sizing you up_

_I've never been so surreptitious_

_So, of course, I'll be distracted when I spike the punch_

"Right, yes. Outside-" was all Cooper managed to say before running over to the doors.

_And I know and I know, it just doesn't feel like_

_A night out with no one sizing you up_

_I've never been so surreptitious_

_So, of course, I'll be distracted when I spike the punch_

Somehow, the singer had been caught, teachers each grabbing an arm as they dragged him out of sight.

_And I know and I know, it just doesn't feel like_

_A night out with no one sizing you up_

_I've never been so surreptitious_

_So, of course, I'll be distracted when I spike the punch_

"They're locked!"

And those few words from Cooper were the last anyone heard before they were plunged into darkness as the power was turned off.

* * *

_Just over an hour earlier:_

The two boys each sipped at their glasses, the fruit punch slipping down their throats. It had an extra ingredient Blaine couldn't quite put his finger on, but it didn't make the drink taste bad. Still, Blaine didn't get another refill after he had finished his first. Instead, he picked up a cream eclair whilst Kurt continued to drink. He'd left Cooper to his own devices, or, to flirt with one of the sisters of a warbler, and now spotted him with her on the other side of the room.

Meanwhile, Kurt shook his head, rubbing his ear as the music seemed to get louder. Everything seemed to feel hotter than it usually would and his movements were slow, as if he were drunk. As he took a step towards Blaine, he found himself tripping. Luckily, Blaine heard and turned around in time to catch him.

"Kurt? Are you okay?"

The boy shook his head, managing to regain his balance before rubbing his head again. Was Blaine always this loud?

"Kurt? You're um, really hot."

Kurt looked up and met Blaine's eyes- what did he just say?

Blaine, catching on, blushed, shaking his head, "no- I mean you're burning up. Do you need to go outside for some air?"

Kurt only hesitated a second before nodding, fresh air would stop the creeping feeling of sickness.

"Okay- whoa," said Blaine as Kurt stumbled again, "hang on, why don't you lean on me until you can sit down?"

Kurt nodded, happily resting his weight on the other boy as they walked to the doors and outside.

The cold, night air hit Kurt, relieving the hotness that had swept over him in the hall. A wooden bench stood beside them and Blaine sat him down, watching for any sign that Kurt felt worse. Suddenly, the other boy's eyes grew wide, no longer looking at Blaine but behind him. His breathing quickened and a small sheen of sweat could be seen on Kurt's forehead. Not wanting to take his eyes off Kurt, Blaine swept a hurried look over his shoulder to see what had startled his friend.

A gun was inches away from his head, a beefy, oversized jock gripping it.

"Hummel. Did you miss me?"


	32. An A Grade Douche

**Disclaimer: I own nothing- and also thanks for all your kind words! Reviews are love!**

* * *

Blaine froze, eyes wide as he stared down the barrel of the gun.

"Hummel. Did you miss me?"

Wait, this guy knew Kurt?

Blaine wanted to turn around, to see if Kurt was just as shocked as he was but he found himself unable to move, the fear having turned his body immobile. Over his heart, which sounded like an explosion in contrast to the deadly silence that had spread across the grounds, Blaine was able to hear a series of quick, panicky breaths. It took him a moment to realise these weren't his; Blaine had momentarily forgotten how to inhale.

"Not gonna say anything? You did before- you screamed for me."

Kurt bowed his head lower and, in the silence, small, hiccuping breaths could be heard as if someone was crying. It took all Blaine's will not to turn around and comfort his friend.

"Didn't you? Answer me, or I'll shoot your fucking butt buddy!"

"I'm not-"

Blaine silenced himself as the gun raised level with his head.

"I'm counting, Kurt.."

Blaine bit his tongue hard; Kurt didn't talk. He was a dead man.

"3-2-"

"N-no." Kurt whimpered, and Blaine jumped, unaware Kurt even could talk. His voice was hoarse with fear, shaking like this body as he whispered the word and Blaine, without taking his eyes off the gun, reached a hand back to hold Kurt's. It was the most he risked doing without getting shot.

"So the bitch talks, but you were rather slow at answering me.. I'm sure we can fix that later.."

"You won't touch him," said Blaine, suddenly his anger flaring up in his need to protect Kurt.

The man began to laugh, mocking and ringing loud in the night.

"In case you hadn't noticed hobbit, but I'm the one with the gun. I make the orders around here."

"You won't touch him," repeated Blaine, gritting his teeth.

Karofsky's face suddenly fell straight, his mouth a grim line.

"Like I said, I make the orders around here," he said before hitting the barrel of the gun hard against the side of Blaine's head. The dark haired boy fell back, trying not to let the pain show for Kurt's sake. Blaine could handle the pain, if he had endured the night of the Sadie Hawkins dance, he was sure no hit with a gun was going to make him collapse. If anything, he had to stay awake for Kurt's sake.

Suddenly, Karofsky's ears pricked as a loud shouting could be heard from the ballroom. Running footsteps could be heard on the frosted grass, crunching their way towards the boys.

"I've locked them all, like you told me. The only way out now is through a wall," said the male who had just joined them, not even hesitating as he saw the gun.

Blaine however, did a double take as he recognized the face- Harrison.

The sly, muscular teen smirked at this, "surprised to see me Blainey-boy?"

Blaine winced at the name, gripping Kurt's hand tighter in his bid not to punch the duplicitous weasel.

"You remember our deal," asked Harrison, turning back to Karofsky and ignoring the two other boys completely. "Blaine's mine. So don't hurt him- or at least, don't hurt his face."

Blaine, for his part, almost threw up in his disgust. He was not a toy and he certainly wasn't going to be owned by Harrison.

"Yeah, yeah," replied Karofsky, "I know. Now, we need to move before someone calls the police- the rooftop will do."

"T-the rooftop?" At least Harrison had the decency to look vaguely bothered, "you're not actually going to kill him, are you?"

Karofsky didn't answer.

"_Karofsky_?"

Again, no reply.

"O-ok, umm, I guess I'll just go.. check the windows, yeah."

After Harrison left, Karofsky turned his watchful eyes back to the pair sitting on the bench and Blaine unconsciously moved closer to Kurt, trying to hide him from their antagonizer. After what Harrison had said, there'd probably be less chance Karofsky would be inclined to hurt him than Kurt. In some way, Blaine felt he ought to be at least slightly relieved at this. Instead, he was the opposite.

The noise levels from the ballroom increased and Karofsky's eyes flashed around, reminding Kurt of a deer listening out for a predator. The only difference was that this deer was deadly and could kill with just a twitch of the finger.

"Up."

"W-what?"

"Up!"

Kurt jumped, his back ramrod. His heart was beating at a speed he never thought humanly possible as he raised his trembling hands above his head. In front of him, Blaine did the same, standing up during the process. He flicked a panicked look back at Kurt as the porcelain boy slowly did the same.

"Feel like singing now, Kurt? This is all your fault you know."

Karofsky smirked as Kurt refused to meet his eyes; he knew what he had said was true. If Kurt hadn't been so- so provocative, he'd never had turned Karofsky gay.

"It's not."

Kurt and Karofsky both glanced up at the source of the voice, Karofsky's face splitting into a malevolent grin whilst he waved the gun in front of Blaine's face. In return, the said boy willed himself not to drop his eye contact with Karofsky, but all the willpower in the world couldn't stop him flinching away from the gun.

"Did I not hit you hard enough last time? What's your deal?"

Blaine bit his tongue as the gun began inching its way closer to him. Suddenly, the weapon lowered as the brandisher began to laugh. It was a humourless sound, more mocking than anything, yet it rang through the night and turned the blood in Blaine's veins cold.

"This- this is _gold_! Hummel, it looks like you've got yourself an admirer! Who did you have to fuck for that?"

"Shut up!"

"Guess we found our answer."

Karofsky smirked as he looked down at the angry teen, playing with his gun in the process. Before, Blaine even registered what the bully was doing, the gun smashed into his head again, pain exploding as he fell down to one knee. Darkness clouded the edges of his vision and Blaine swore he could hear birds tweeting as they flew around his head.

"I make the orders around here! Now, _GET UP_!"

Nearly falling over in the process, Blaine obliged, although remaining standing took all his concentration.

"Now, walk! We've got some stairs to climb."

* * *

Inside the building, Burt was going crazy. Cooper was freaking out. The whole room was in pandemonium. Cooper was still shaking the doors whilst Burt had stepped away; in his hand he held his phone and was contemplating phoning the police. However, he wasn't yet sure if his son was in trouble so he hesitated before finally calling. With Karofsky still at large and his son missing, it was better to be safe than sorry.

Theo and Fors were at the doors too, inspecting the locks only to find they'd been locked from the outside, and not through the usual ones. After rattling them a few times, they determined that they had been chained together. Each exchanged worried glances; they'd have to knock the doors off their hinges if they wanted to escape through them.

Both boys jumped when a loud curse followed by a thud of someone throwing a phone filled the room.

"Can't get any damn signal," said Burt loudly, staring at his phone with a glare that was so heated the twins wondered if the phone was about to spontaneously combust.

"Hang on, I'll try," Cooper said, also giving up shaking the unopening exits. "...No signal."

"Me too," someone else joined in, peering at their mobile's screen.

"Same here."

"Well what the hell's going on then?"

"Cooper! Watch your mouth."

"Dad-"

"Okay, everybody calm down," a woman, possibly a teacher called from the front, having climbed onto the stage in front of the microphone. "I'm sure there's a perfectly good reason for all of this, if we just keep calm and-"

"Keep calm?!"

The woman at the front stared down at Burt, taken aback; it was clear that she was used to interruptions.

"Yes, keep calm-"

"Lady, my son's out there and the doors are locked; that seems like a brilliant reason to do the opposite. Look me in the eyes and tell me this has happened before."

"I-"

"Exactly."

There was a silence as the rest of the crowd members slowly realised what was happening. And nobody knew quite what to say. It took Cooper to break the spell.

"So how are we gonna bust out then?"

Burt stared at Cooper, giving him a look which seemed to be asking if the boy was an idiot, "the doors are locked and the windows are too small to climb through. Unless you can fit through the air vent, I suggest you get back to kicking down the doors."

"Burt," calmed Carole, placing her hand on his arm warningly. A fight was the opposite of what they needed right now.

"Right. Sorry kiddo, but I really see no way out of here."

"Well, there is one way.."

Burt and Cooper turned surprised to Theo and Fors, the hope shining in their eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"Look up, what do you see?" Asked Theo.

"A ceiling."

"A chandelier."

"A window."

"Precisely," said Fors, "now, do you think it's big enough for someone to fit through?"

"It's on the ceiling."

"But do you think it's big enough for someone to fit through?"

"Well, yeah, but-"

"No Theo," said Cooper suddenly, understanding what the twin was getting at.

"It's the only way out."

"You could die."

"Hang on, what are you talking about?"

Cooper raised his eyebrows at Burt, nodding towards the window, earning a small 'oh' from Burt as it finally clicked.

"No. We can knock down the door, or someone must have signal. You're not risking your life."

"These doors are impossible to knock down, trust us, we've tried."

"Besides, it's not like we haven't done anything like it before."

"But-"

Burt was cut off as the noise of a gunshot filled the room, shaking the occupants, a deadly silence followed.

"Shit, shit- _Kurt_!"

Next to Burt, Cooper was shouting Blaine's name, struggling to hold back tears as a million different scenarios blasted through his head. Most of them ended in Blaine's dead body.

"Okay, okay, go! _Where are the goddamn police?_"

Fors nodded, jumping back to life from where he had frozen, giving Theo a hand for reaching the first decoration to use as a foothold. Silently, he thanked whoever put them up for tying them so securely as he watched his brother scale the wall.

All the while, he was praying Blaine and Kurt weren't dead.

* * *

Kurt's heart was thundering beneath his skin, the blood pumping loud in his ears and he wondered if he had nearly had a heart attack. The gunshot was louder than he'd ever expected, deafening him in such a way films with guns in never had. It was terrifying, the noise at such a level it sent a wave of nausea through him: even the sound it made sounded like death. But the scariest part? The madman behind the trigger.

Luckily, the bullet hadn't been intended for either him or Blaine, instead disappearing into the abyss of the night sky; it had been intended more to scare than injure. And from the way Blaine and him were shaking, Kurt concluded that it had accomplished its goal.

"Hurry up or the next one will be going in your brain!"

It'd be a lie to say the pair didn't obey.

Blaine gulped as he looked up at English building which Karofsky had led them to. It was the tallest of each of the buildings at Dalton as it was originally a dorm building, housing both Windsor and Thatcher. However, after this didn't work out, the other dorm buildings were built. This particular building was also one of the few with a flat roof, it was due to be redone this summer.

"Up."

Blaine flinched at the voice, easily intimidated purely by the fact the oversized jock could kill them in under a second. He felt Kurt grip his hand tighter as their attacker spoke, the boy was shivering and Blaine had to fight himself so he didn't give Kurt his blazer. He didn't think Karofsky would like that.

"I said, up."

"I-I don't understand."

"The ladder- climb it."

Blaine stared up at what Karofsky was pointing at. It was originally a fire escape, however, over time, it had rusted to the point that some rungs looked like they'd snap under the slightest bit of pressure. There was a newer one around the corner, in not nearly the same condition in which this one had been allowed to fall, yet Blaine didn't dare point this out.

"5-4-3-"

Blaine didn't know what the jock was counting down to, and he didn't think he wanted to find out.

"Okay! Okay, I'm going."

Without a second thought that would surely convince him not to climb, Blaine reached out an arm and placed a foot on the first rung. It was cold beneath him and the paint broke off under his skin. He was hesitant to leave Kurt at the bottom with a guy he was so clearly afraid of, yet couldn't see a way out of it. Eventually, he told himself it'd be a good idea if he went first as he could test the rungs so the other boy wouldn't fall.

Kurt watched as Blaine disappeared into the darkness above, the boy much like his hope as they both seemed to be getting harder to see and cling onto. Once Blaine was fully invisible under the cover of darkness, Karofsky turned Kurt, the gun moving to point at his chest.

"Your turn. Climb."

Kurt gulped, for the first time properly looking into Karofsky's eyes and shuddering. They were completely void of any emotion, the only thing that could be seen was pure and utter hate.

And it terrified him.

However, somehow, Kurt still managed to obey as he managed his way over to the ladder, beginning to climb immediately. Anything to get away from Karofsky.

When they were at least, halfway there, it was a fight to continue climbing. Kurt could feel himself slowing, the burn in his legs getting harder and harder to ignore. It wasn't because he was unfit at all, simply in his haste to get away from the jock, Kurt hadn't taken into account the size of the building and had sped at the beginning. Mentally, he kicked himself for forgetting about stamina. It didn't help either the amount of cuts on his hands from the spiky bits of metal dragging and tearing at his skin. It was pure adrenaline that was keeping him going now. So he gritted his teeth and simply tried to focus on getting the top.

"Kurt, is that you? You're nearly at the top now, be careful though, one of the rungs is missing."

Kurt opened his eyes, unaware that he had closed them, and looked up. Sure enough, he could make out the silhouette of Blaine and felt a wave of relief travel through him. At least he hadn't fallen.

Careful of the missing piece of ladder Blaine had warned him about, Kurt finally pulled himself onto the roof, feeling a pair of arms wrap around him as he did so.

"Kurt," the boy could feel Blaine shaking just as much as he was as they embraced, and Kurt felt a tug of his heart as Blaine's voice cracked as he said his name.

This was all his fault.

"Kurt, I'm- I'm scared.."

Both by now had tears slipping down their faces but neither said anything, merely holding eachother as each wondered whether it'd be the last time they'd get to do so.

"Now, how come I don't get a welcome like that?"

Blaine and Kurt both jumped simultaneously as if an electric current had passed through their bodies. In seconds, neither was embracing the other any more, instead each having leapt about a foot away from the other.

"Well," smirked Karofsky, "you certainly didn't have any problem with it before."

"Don't talk to him like that."

"Excuse me?"

Blaine looked up, the tearstains still evident on his face.

"I-I said don't talk to him like that."

Kurt grabbed Blaine's hand, willing him to shut up before he got hurt.

"Y'know what? I think me and Kurt need a little alone time. Don't you Kurtie?"

And, swinging his arm in a wide arc, Karofsky slammed his fist into the side of Blaine's head, knocking the boy off his feet. Blaine tried to fight the haze that filled his head, but it was a futile effort and and the young boy was soon unconscious, a bruise already forming on his head.

Kurt took a step back as Karofsky met his eyes, looking at him like he was prey.

"Well Kurt, I guess it's just me and you now."


	33. Hit Me With Your Best Shot

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

Kurt felt his breath get caught in his throat, for a moment, making him unable to breathe as Blaine sank to the floor in front of him. Already, a bruise was forming on the other boy's head along with a trail of blood swimming down his face although Kurt couldn't see where it started. Instead of showing any signs of remorse however, Karofsky merely kicked the unconscious teen onto his back, careful to tread on him as he walked towards Kurt.

"It's been a long time since I got you alone, isn't it? You changed your phone number, moved... I was starting to think you'd forgotten about me. But you know, I would never forget you."

Bile rose in Kurt's throat, out of context, the words could sound as if they were ex-lovers, but there was no mistaking the silent threats and promise of violence dripping on every word. It was sick. Karofsky was sick.

"But I knew you loved me really, don't you?"

It wasn't a question, more a demand. The jock snatched Kurt's face in his hand, pulling it roughly upwards and staring into the glasz eyes.

"I asked you a question. Answer me!"

The shout nearly deafened Kurt, yet he didn't say anything. Because what could he say? Instead he just stared back hopelessly, willing it all to be over.

However, this just seemed to further anger the larger teen, Karofsky spitting in Kurt's eye before throwing him to the ground.

"It's all your FUCKING FAULT!"

With the last word, Karofsky aimed a hard kick to Kurt's ribs, making Kurt roll over, his chest on fire.

"If you had been normal, none of this would have happened! You'd never have FUCKING _INFECTED_ ME!"

If Kurt hadn't felt so scared at that moment, he'd be disgusted. It wasn't a disease- he didn't turn Karofsky anymore than he could turn water into wine. The only thing there that wasn't natural was the jock's homophobia.

"What? Aren't you going to say anything? Maybe it's because you're finally realising that I'm right."

Another kick was launched, this time connecting with Kurt's elbow as he hugged his bruised chest. But still, Kurt stayed silent, the pain only showing on his face.

"Answer me!"

Karofsky grabbed Kurt by his hair, pulling him forcefully to his feet with disregard to the way the smaller boy's breath hitched as he struggled to control the pain. Forcibly, Karofsky pulled Kurt's head back until their eyes were mere inches apart.

"ANSWER ME!"

Silence.

After what felt like a lifetime, Karofsky dropped Kurt, pulling out a bunch of his hair in the process. The jock smirked, his posture calm and relaxed whilst his eyes were wild.

"Okay. Okay, I understand. You don't want to say anything- that's fine. Like I said, I understand. I guess you won't have any objections to me shooting your friend then?"

Horrorstricken, Kurt watched as the gun was pointed at Blaine who was still slumped on the ground, unconscious.

"No, Nothing? Well, okay then, bye loverboy-"

"_Don't_! P-please.."

* * *

_*flashback*_

_Kurt hated school. Okay, that wasn't completely true, he loved to learn. He loved to be with his friends every day. He loved being able to judge other people's outfits from afar, mentally criticizing them. But he hated the way he spent more time in school fearing for his life nowadays than actually learning. In fact, he despised it. And yet, he knew he couldn't ever tell anyone the truth why. Unless he wanted to be dead by the following morning._

_He was French class, staring out of the window that was covered in condensation. Before, French had been one of his favourite subjects. Due to one Sue Sylvester, he was fluent in the language and would spend his time insulting Azimio, one of jock, jocks/bullies, and also Karofsky's best friend, who was thankfully illiterate in the language. Now he'd simply sit there, unable to focus on his studies as he constantly worried about where he'd hide today._

_The choir room was a no-go. After he'd stopped participating as much in glee club, many had thought he was simply being snobbish and thought they weren't good enough for him. Rachel had asked him about it, wondering if it was because of his lack of solos and asking if he'd like to sing with her soon. Apparently she thought it would ruin their group dynamic at regionals if he continued to ignore them._

_Although it was a nice suggestion, it had ended in an argument, Kurt getting angry at the girl for her self centeredness. They'd barely talked after but that was why Kurt had shouted at her, to keep her from prying._

_Mercedes had taken a different approach, texting more than often and constantly trying to make conversation. Kurt still felt bad about the amount of times he'd turned down sleepovers and shopping trips but, as he frequently told himself, it was for the best. He wasn't sure he could deal with it if she ever found out about what Karofsky had been doing, and he didn't think Karofsky would let her get away without being hurt in the process and Kurt wouldn't wish that on his worse enemy. Who knew what he was capable of anyway?_

_He briefly considered spending his lunch in the lunch hall, after all, Karosky wouldn't hurt him too much in plain sight, would he? But as quickly as the idea came, he dismissed it, knowing the looks he'd get from the rest of glee club would be a worse punishment._

_His next thought was of the toilets, but that was too hidden from anyone else, so if Karofsky was to find him, nobody would help him. Honestly, he wasn't sure if anyone would help if they found out anyway, after all, as Karofsky had said, he deserved it. Anyway, the room only had one exit so it was too easy to be trapped there._

_In the end, he opted to head to the bleachers and hide under them. It was secluded enough that nobody would find him, yet open enough that he could run easily and people would come if he screamed. It was perfect._

_He glanced at the clock, watching the seconds tick by as it grew steadily closer to the bell for lunch. Kurt was dreading it, knowing he could easily get hurt as the teachers refused to patrol the corridors._

_Five minutes later, the bell rang and Kurt hurriedly gathered his pens and books together, sweeping them into his bag before swinging it over his shoulder. The quicker he left, the more people would be in the corridor and hopefully less chance of Karofsky seeing him through the crowd. He ducked his head and walked off at a pace comparable to a slow jog._

_He was about to turn right down to the quickest exit but paused as he heard shouts, signalling a fight had broken out. It appeared to be between Azimio, who must have taken a different to Kurt, and another boy on the football team Kurt didn't know the name of. It was one whose hair always looked like it was coated in a layer of grease. Seeing the gathering crowd, Kurt turned, knowing it would probably take longer to escape this way._

_Quickly, he left the scene and headed down a conjoined corridor, this route being longer, but taking him to the same location. However, the further he walked, the more and more he noticed the thinning amount of people, everyone seeming to have disappeared in order to watch the fight. Biting his lip, the pulled his sleeves over his hands and crossed his arms over his chest before picking up his pace. He just wanted to get out of there, he knew it was dangerous to be alone._

_And boy, how right he was._

_Out of nowhere, a hand gripped tight around his arm, pulling him close to another body. As Kurt met his attackers eyes, he froze, what was happening registering in his mind. He tried to pull away but it was useless, so he settled with letting out a shrill scream. At least, he tried, the sound coming out as a choke as a hand wrapped itself around his throat, threatening to grow tighter._

_"I wouldn't say anything if I were you Hummel. You wouldn't want people knowing your dirty little secret, do you?"_

_In return to this, Kurt began to shake, tears including up as he continued to struggle, sending a kick to his attacker's groin in doing so. Immediately, Karofsky let go, bending over and wheezing in pain; Kurt took this as his chance and ran._

_The problem with running? Karofsky, being a football player, easily caught up. Next thing he knew, a hand was forcefully pushing his head multiple times against a locker. Pain was filling Kurt's head, yet it felt numb. It was as if he had detached his mind from his body and wasn't completely there. However, one final blow still managed to send him reeling into darkness._

_The first thing he noticed when he woke up was the smell, it was a mixture of urine and poor cleaning fluid. It reminded him of- oh God. He opened his eyes, wincing at the pain as his suspicions were confirmed. He was in the bathrooms._

_"I was wondering when you'd wake up- I thought it'd be more fun if you were awake to remember it."_

_Immediately, Kurt pulled away from the jock, almost falling onto his back as he stuck his hand out to keep balance from where he was sat. The only problem was his hands appeared to be tied._

_"You know, you playing hard to get only turns me on more."_

_"Get away from me!"_

_"You say that as if you don't want it. I know you do; you deny it too much."_

_Karofsky took a step towards Kurt and the other boy pushed himself away in response, gulping as his back hit the wall. Desperately, he began to stall for time, hoping someone would walk in soon and stop the taller boy._

_"You won't get away with this! I'll-I'll tell!"_

_"You tell anyone and I'll fucking kill you. Then I'll move on to your family."_

_"You're sick!"_

_"And it's all your fault! You deserve this for what you did to me!"_

_"I didn't do anything- please, just- just let me go!"_

_The tears were falling freely down Kurt's face yet Karofsky felt no sympathy._

_"YES YOU DID! If you weren't born, I'd never feel like this!"_

_"Please- it's not my fault-" pleaded Kurt._

_"Yes it is, and you know what? I'm going to make you pay."_

_"What? No-"_

_Kurt was cut off as a thick hand wrapped around his throat, almost choking him as he was forced to his feet. Still with a grip that made it impossible to breathe, Karofsky pressed his lips against Kurt's, tasting the salty tears that were running down Kurt's face and smiling. As black spots yet again began to cloud his vision, Kurt made a final attempt to get free, raising his leg with force until it collided with the other boy's crotch. After all, it had worked before._

_Unfortunately for Kurt, the other teenager had been expecting this and had moved so his knee hadn't had the same impact it had the first time. Instead of hurting him, it only seemed to anger him more._

_"You fucking little shit!" He shouted, throwing Kurt hard against the floor and pressing a foot on the boy's chest, adding just enough pressure to make it extremely difficult to breathe._

_"You're in for it now- Azimio and Kyle are distracting the teachers, so I'll be able to take my time, nice and slow. Maybe it'll teach you just what happens when you try and spread the gay."_

_Kurt didn't even bother replying, he didn't think he had the strength to; physical or mental. Instead he shut his eyes, waiting in terror for the rough hands to start touching him like before._

_"If you scream, I'll kill you."_

_No reply. Instead, all Kurt felt was a rush of cold air as his shirt was ripped open, the buttons popping off and scattering across the room. Then he waited. Because what else could he do?_

_However, what happened next was something Kurt hadn't anticipated. A vivid, sharp pain that felt freezing, yet burning with heat sparked like a flame on his abdomen and Kurt, despite Karofsky's warning, nearly screamed anyway. It was unlike anything the boy had felt before and it blinded him, making everything else in the room, everyone else, disappear. The only thing in the world at that moment was pain._

_Excruciating and uncontrollable pain._

_What must have been a knife retraced the cut it had already made, adding pressure and twisting deeper, yet always just the enough to keep Kurt from blacking out or diminish the pain._

_For a second, the pain then lessened slightly, as if a weight had been retracted from it and Kurt gasped for air. At the back of his mind, Kurt thought he heard the sound of an object being placed on the floor and he felt a rush of thankfulness, relaxing slightly at the thought of the ordeal finally being over. However, his hopes were quickly died as what must have been a thumb forced its way into the wound, pressing hard as it twisted, tearing the skin further. Kurt screamed, unprepared for this as the pain increased, making his muscles rigid as the torture filled all of his senses. This was a feeling he only imagined in books, or hell. He didn't think it was possible for something to hurt this much._

_"Shut up!"_

_Kurt screamed again as the thumb pushed harder into him; beads of sweat were trailing down his head now and Kurt was beginning to hope death would hurry up and come._

_"SHUT UP!"_

_Suddenly, the jock was pulled off him and he could hear other voices, ones that sounded like Finn and Puck, though it sounded to Kurt like angels. With a sigh, Kurt closed his eyes and drifted off._

_For some reason, there were only three words that got through to Kurt's unconscious._

_"Don't tell anyone."_

* * *

When Kurt's eyes next opened, he was back on the rooftop. It had begun to rain now yet Karofsky was still with them. He appeared to be talking though Kurt couldn't fully hear his words. The older boy seemed to have not noticed the flashback, and was still waving his gun about.

Over the wind, a whimper sounded and Kurt looked up, wondering who it came from. It took one glance at the gelled hair to remember-Blaine. Memories of Karofsky hurting him came rushing back and Kurt's eyes widened- Blaine! Immediately, he tried to move, trying to get to the other boy- he didn't need to get hurt over someone else's problems.

As he lifted his arms, he realised not all of the pain in his flashback was imagined, his ribs were aching and his throat felt no better.

"..and of course, you would get the cops involved- you know I've had to hide at Azimio's for months now? But you-_you_! You've been hanging out here with that fucking hobbit-" Karofsky jerked his thumb at Blaine as the wind died down, making his words easier to hear in the night. Kurt wished it would pick up again, "but you know what? It's just given me more time to plan my revenge. To make your life as bad as you made mine."

"What? No sassy comment? Well, that's just you all over. Fucking _weak_."

As Karofsky continued to speak, Kurt could see Blaine moving behind him. The teen was climbing to his feet, clutching his head as he did so. Kurt didn't know what he was going to do, but knew if Karofsky saw him, Blaine would be dead in seconds. Desperately, he tried to distract Karofsky from turning.

"I'm not." It came out in barely a whisper, partly due to nearly being strangled, partly due to his fear of what Karofsky would do if he heard him speak without permission. Behind the jock, Blaine paused, trying not to rush over to Kurt and sweep him into a hug. The pain in the other boy's voice was heartbreaking to say the least.

"What was that? I didn't quite catch you," it wasn't a question, it was a dare. And the glint in his eye was the threat.

"I-I'm not weak.."

"Look at you!" Karofsky lashed out at Kurt, catching him in his already aching ribs, "you hide behind others and can't even take it like a man! And you're fucking crying. You baby; I barely touched you."

Kurt gritted his teeth, Blaine was about two foot from Karofsky now, and Kurt was beginning to wonder about what the boy was going to do.

"You've done a check of a load more to me. My DAD HATES ME! Do you know how that feels? I'm never going to be normal again! Because of you, I'm going to prison if I get caught- and it's all your fucking fault. All of this is!"

He was waving the gun about more and more now, the shaft always pointing at Kurt however.

"So before I go, there's only one thing I have left to do. Get up."

"W-what?"

"Get up!"

With the threat of the gun, Kurt somehow managed to climb to his feet, though shakily and having to bend slightly to avoid to much pain from his stomach. Looking down the barrel, Kurt swore the night got colder. Or maybe it was because he knew he was probably going to die.

"Say your fucking goodbyes, princess."

With that, Karofsky tugged the trigger of the gun, the bullet speeding out towards Kurt, but not before a body leapt in front of the other boy, pushing him backwards as the bullet met flesh and bone.

The teenager fell to the ground, writhing in pain as blood began to pool around him.

"_Blaine_!"


	34. Beep Beep Beep

**Disclaimer: I own nothing- unless of course I wake up and realise I'm secretly Ryan Murphy, but I don't think that's particularly likely... **

**Also, thanks for all your kind comments and reviews! They mean the world to me!**

* * *

They say just before you die, life slows down. It's true, or at least, it was for Blaine. As the bullet sped towards him, it seemed as if it was barely moving. Jumping in front of Kurt felt like flying and, as the bullet inched its way towards him, it was as if every look, every touch he had shared with Kurt, flashed before his eyes, reminding him of why he was about to die and giving him courage.

He didn't feel his body hit the floor.

He didn't hear the other bullet escaping and hitting its victim with pinpoint accuracy.

He didn't even register any pain.

It was as if he was floating, and the only thing he could hear was an angel calling his name. It sounded beautiful, yet sad. He wanted to tell the angel he was fine, that they shouldn't cry, but he couldn't. Because the voice had disappeared, and Blaine was left alone, and everything had gone.

* * *

Fluorescent coats moved around Kurt, appearing from the shadows. Lights were flooding the rooftop along with shouts from deep voices. People were talking urgently, trying to tell him something yet Kurt couldn't hear other his tears. He just wanted to lay clutching at Blaine's body forever.

Hands pulled at him and Kurt screamed, half from pain, half from fear. He didn't care what happened now. He was a murderer- he'd deserve whatever came next. Just like he did before; it was all his fault. Suddenly the grip on him became stronger, the brightly coated people pulling him forcefully away from Blaine. He screamed again, trying to fight them off- he needed to get back to Blaine. Yet slowly he was pulled out of the body's reach, and Kurt had to give in. And he did, falling into a darkness and all the time wishing Blaine would join him.

* * *

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

Blurry background noise, creeping towards him in the darkness. A faint white light, it hovered like a magical orb in front of him and the boy couldn't help but be drawn to it. The next thing he felt was the pain, coursing through his body, get still rather dull.

He was present in his body, he just wasn't in control yet.

"-bad condition... possible amnesia from blows to the head... yeah, got shot dead I heard, serves him right-"

The teenager stopped trying to eavesdrop, afraid of hearing something he wouldn't like. But he needed to know. He had to know if they had somehow saved him.

Slowly, he tried to regain control of his body. It was difficult; he could barely wiggle a finger yet alone get the doctor's attention. He tried again, wiggling the finger until it became easy and then trying another as well. Two eventually because four and soon enough, he was managing to clench his hand into a weak, and barely recognisable fist shape. He tried his other hand but stopped immediately, letting out a hiss of pain. He wouldn't be doing that again, it made him feel like he'd been run over by a bus.

The room was quiet now, safe for a few noises that he couldn't determine where they they were coming from. He guessed moving his hands took a lot more time than he'd originally thought. However, after succeeding in managing to move his hands without causing himself too much pain, the boy gingerly forced his eyes open, having to blink a few times to adjust to the light.

Looking about as well as he could without sitting up, the room appeared empty.

"Blaine?"

Blaine turned his head slightly, finally spotting the other person. Kurt sat up on pristine sheets, looking over at him and biting his lip.

"I-I'm so sorry," the pale boy continued, his eyes beginning to moisten from tears.

"Why?"

Suddenly, the door to the room opened and a woman in a nurses outfit walked in, holding a clipboard.

"Blaine! How are you? Are you in any pain?"

Blaine flinched at the loudness of the voice, this pulling on his shoulder and sending another wave of pain through him. He gritted his teeth.

"My- my shoulder hurts-"

It turned out it was difficult to talk when trying not to scream.

"Okay, that's expected, don't worry."

The woman walked over to his bed, checking the IV that stuck out of his arm. Blaine couldn't help but feel slightly uncomfortable at that; he'd never liked needles very much. Or hospitals since the last time. She fiddled with a few buttons, presumably adjusting the pain medication before turning back to Blaine.

"That should begin to take effect any time now, it might make you feel a bit sleepy though. Anyway, how are you feeling? Sick? And how's your vision?"

"'Mm fine- Kurt-"

The nurse looked over to the other bed and sighed. Blaine peered over too and was surprised to see Kurt apparently asleep. But that was impossible- he'd only been talking to him a few minutes ago.

"Poor dear, he hasn't said anything since he woke up, although I understand he didn't before as well. Physically, he's fine, all thanks to you, we're just worried about how he is mentally. Although I really shouldn't have told you that," the nurse said, blushing, "patient confidentiality and all- so pretend you didn't hear any of that.."

"Of course."

"Thanks, I only got the job here last week, I don't want to be fired just yet."

"Right," said Blaine, about to offer a dapper smile before he had to stifle a yawn. Suddenly, he felt like he was floating on a cushion again.

"Oh, that's probably the pain meds, I'll leave you to sleep. But if you need anything, just press this button."

The nurse left the room with a smile before Blaine could reply. The meds really were making it hard to keep his eyes open now but he still fought against it, rolling onto his good side and meeting Kurt's eyes.

"Kurt, I-"

And then he was asleep.

* * *

Kurt watched as Blaine's eyes fell shut and the other boy started to snore, a result of him laying at an odd angle. Though Kurt would have thought so, it didn't bother him, in fact, at the very back of his mind he may have even admitted it was cute.

Immediately, Kurt felt guilty for having thought this; it had been him who'd put Blaine in here, that wasn't cute. Hell, he'd nearly killed him according to the nurses. Of course, they didn't actually say it was his fault, but the blood loss and shock didn't come from Blaine's free will. No, it had been him who'd put Blaine in that position, and therefore it was his fault.

Honestly he was surprised Blaine hadn't ignored him altogether. Unless he was only trying to talk to him to make sure he understood how much pain he had caused him. Kurt doubted this though, even if only slightly. Blaine had saved his life right? He didn't have to- he could have just let him die.

But a voice in the back of Kurt's head would argue he only did it because he didn't want to be next, after all, Karofsky definitely had enough bullets for the both of them, Blaine stood much more chance of being hit in a less dangerous place if he was moving.

"Kurt? Are you awake?"

Kurt lay still as he heard his father walk in, debating whether he should continue pretending to be asleep or not. He was kind of scared how his father might react, but in the end decided he was more afraid of his fad having another heart attack so, quietly as to not wake Blaine, he stirred himself and sat up.

"Kurt! How are you kiddo? When I heard you'd nearly been shot-"

Burt had to choke back a sob at the thought of losing his son. After losing Elizabeth, he didn't think he could bear Kurt dying, especially after Karofsky had come so close last time. To be honest, ever since he heard the gunshots he'd been trying not to cry, only allowing himself to when he was at home with Carole by his side. He couldn't let Kurt see him cry; it wouldn't be fair.

"Anyway, how are you buddy?"

Kurt raised his eyebrows, nodding towards his chest which was wrapped tight in bandages. Apparently he had around four broken ribs, along with quite a few bruised as well. His throat was also covered in a handshaped bruise, although the doctors couldn't say whether it had damaged it until he talked. Which, with the possible exception of one person, he refused to do.

"Yeah, but how are you feeling? I can call a doctor? Are you hurting at all? I just- I want you to get better," said Burt reaching out a hand to rest on Kurt's leg.

Kurt, out of instinct, reacted immediately, flinching more violently than Burt had ever seen before. Burt removed his arm straight away, biting back tears; Karofsky had obviously hurt Kurt in ways Burt couldn't imagine. The fear in his boy's eyes was one he knew he'd never be able to forget.

Seeing Burt wince, Kurt offered a smile as a form of apology but it felt more like a grimace. Honestly, he just wanted to be left alone.

"Um, Kurt, there's-there's something I need to tell you. There's an inquiry.. to what happened. The police- they're going to eventually want a statement from you, from both of you-" he nodded to Blaine, "-to find out what happened. They won't take it until you're ready but, well, they're gonna want it soon."

Kurt didn't reply, his face void of emotion.

"Kurt?"

The boy looked up at his dad before faking a large yawn, he needed to be left alone right now.

"Right- I guess you're kinda tired? Okay, I'll leave you alone then buddy- but promise me something? Don't keep shutting everyone out? Please? I love you kiddo."

Kurt simply closed his eyes. He didn't fall asleep until about three hours later though, too busy thinking about his father's words.

When he next awoke, for a moment, he wasn't sure where he was. Everything was dark, the sheets were too stiff and for some reason, he was wearing a gown. And for a moment, he felt like before everything had happened: at Dalton, smiling as he and Blaine watched films on his tv.

Then he remembered, and the feeling was lost.

A quiet beeping noise filled the the otherwise silent room, making Kurt's pulse loudly audible. However, over this was another, slightly faster than his. Kurt guessed this was Blaine's.

Blaine.

Blaine with the bullet wound.

Blaine who was injured because of him.

Blaine that had nearly died in order to save him.

Blaine.

When Kurt had first gone to Dalton, he'd never planned to let anyone get close. With Karofsky about, it would have been dangerous, for both of them. Besides, who would want to be friends with someone who wouldn't even talk to them?

Yet, to Blaine, this had never seemed to matter.

He had broken through Kurt's walls; he'd done the impossible. Never complaining,never giving up.. he'd given Kurt hope. And because of this, he was in a hospital bed. If Kurt could take all Blaine's pain and make the past never happen, he would. But he couldn't, so he'd do the next best thing. He'd stop himself from causing Blaine any future pain, no matter how hard it would be.

* * *

Burt sat in the waiting room, still awake despite the hour. Visiting hours were over yet Burt had refused to leave no matter how hard Carole had tried to persuade him otherwise; he wasn't going to leave Kurt alone in a hospital after the last time anyone had had to stay overnight was Elizabeth.

He wasn't completely alone though. Cooper slept in the chair next to him whilst his dad did the same the other side. There had been an argument between at first about this, Blaine's father trying to make Cooper go home and sleep there. Of course, Cooper had refused saying if he made him leave, he'd just sleep in his car outside. This had resulted in a loud squabble, eventually ending with Cooper storming off to visit Blaine. Eventually, Cooper had got his way though, and had been allowed to stay. Not that his father had any choice in this however, Cooper was over eighteen after all.

Burt sighed as he opened his eyes, annoyed sleep wouldn't come. It would be nice to escape his problems for a while- plus, as Kurt would've reminded him, he had to look after his heart.

The doctors hadn't been able to tell him much about what had happened, only able to guess from the injuries. Kurt refused to say anything, not that Burt blamed him, and Blaine had been to out of it to say anything. Besides, he hadn't wanted to force them into talking about what happened until they were ready.

Instead, he'd found his answers through a police officer who was first one scene, or something like that. The man had originally resisted telling him, but when Burt had told him his son was one of the boys involved, he had relented.

* * *

It hadn't been long since he had joined the force, a few months at a push which was nothing compared to some of his friends experience. Tony had been with the police for about three decades and even the dogs seemed like they had had more exposure to the work than he had had. They seemed a hell of a lot more confident too. It was this that made him confused him when he got the order to go to a school- was it Dalton academy?- because of a man holding two kids hostage on a rooftop.

Although it was rare for a situation like this to arise, he did have some training on it. Usually, the gunman would make some demands- usually money or something like that- and they'd end up letting the hostages go in the end. Of course, some people were hard to convince and people were often killed, but Tony would be damned if he let that happen. Especially to a child. That was why the police had accepted him actually, because he had a passion like a fire.

Within seconds of getting the call, Tony was bundled into one of the many police cars, this time an unnamed one to avoid spooking the shooter, and was driven to the school. Thankfully the police force was centered in Westerville, but it still took a good ten minutes. A good ten minutes that could be the last for the hostages very easily.

Tony bit his lip and silently urged the vehicle to go faster though he knew this was impossible; they were already breaking the speed limit.

On the way, he was given orders so as not to waste time when they got there.

"Shoot if necessary, we can't let those boys get killed. I repeat, shoot if necessary."

He might have to end a life tonight.

"The target's already shot two, maybe three times already. He has a limited amount of bullets left yet he still has enough to kill both the hostages."

The gunman wasn't even referred to as a person now, simply a target. Tony wondered if this was to make it easier in whoever had to shoot him.

He tuned out the next few sentences, only picking up key bits of information.

"...short range...handgun...Kurt Hummel and Blaine Anderson... possible death already.."

Suddenly Tony had a lot less of a problem with this guy getting shot.

After that, everything seemed like a blur. It was moving too fast, yet not fast enough to get the boys out of the situation. Of course, he couldn't admit that as he needed to remain professional for everyone else's sake, but you could tell if you looked him properly in the eyes.

The most distinct memory he had of arriving was a man, one he'd soon learn to be Burt Hummel, grabbing his arm and just telling him to 'save his boy.' Tony hadn't known how to react and had eventually been shuffled off by his superiors. Because what could he have said? '_I'm sorry sir, but we don't even know if your kid's still alive' ? _

After that he was made to climb up to a rooftop nearly adjacent to the one which held the hostages. He was the smallest out of the team that had gathered and therefore he had less chance of getting spotted by the gunman. That of course made him feel completely safe going up there, note the sarcasm. Still, someone needed to be there. Howard and Kate would watch the ladder that lead up to the roof so they could catch the gunman if he tried to escape that way whilst another pair Tony didn't know would perform a search of the grounds to make sure there weren't any others. The rest of the group would split in two, half going up through the building to try and find a way to the rooftop through that so they could get the boys down quicker and take down their target without them jumping, as a few had done before. They had nothing to lose after all.

The other group was to guard the crowd forming outside, form a way for the ambulances ect. Not that they were expecting a need for them except to treat the hostages for shock.

"Tony? You okay man?"

"Yeah- yeah."

"Okay, good luck with the climbing.."

"Yeah.."

He knew this was code for 'get the heck up , what are you waiting for?' but it was nice to pretend. But he knew he should get up there. And so he did.

It was a nice view from the top, at least, it would be if it wasn't so dark; in fact, he could barely make out the figures on the roof he was watching. One dark shape was on their feet, he was tall, yet slightly wide, although Tony guessed most of it was muscle. His movements were wild, his feet kicking out madly, and Tony gasped as he realised his feet were actually colliding with something. Someone. The screams and gasps travelled far in the darkness.

Wait, didn't someone say he had two hostages? Immediately, Tony performed a mental sweep of the area, looking for another body. Tony hated thinking that, a body made them sound dead. Yet as his eyes laid to rest on an unmoving shape which could be mistaken for an oddly shaped rock, he couldn't help but think body was the best word for it.

Within seconds, Tony's gun was in his hand, lining up for the kill. He knew they were supposed to bring him in for questioning, but didn't someone say something about shooting if one of the hostages were in danger? A scream rang out through the night. Yep, this definitely qualified.

Suddenly the body behind the gunman began to stir, eventually managing to get to his feet, unbeknownst to the shooter. Silently, Tony shouted at the kid to get away, to do what any normal kid would do. But this one seemed intent on saving the other and crept forward instead of away.

As he did so, Tony felt a change in the atmosphere. It was more tense, and way too quiet. Eerily quiet.

Then everything started moving way to fast. The shooter raised his gun for the kill, aiming and knowing he couldn't miss: there was a gap between the of only a metre or so. Yet at the same time the other hostage jumped in front of him and the bullet seemed to hit him instead. The gunman's curse could be heard clearly before he raised his gun again to shoot the other boy but already Tony was pulling his own trigger, hitting the target with pinpoint accuracy. He died in seconds, Tony's more barbaric side wishing he had shot just slightly right so his passing wouldn't be so painless.

Of course, then he'd probably lose his job so it was most likely best that he didn't.

The next thing that happened was police officers and paramedics rushing onto the scene, going straight over to the hostage who was hugging the body. Tony wondered if they'd been close, they must have been for him to save the other like that.

Eventually, the paramedics pulled the boy away, sedating him as he suddenly collapsed, maybe from pain from the beating. The other paramedics were working on the boy he'd not been able to save; the hero that had saved the other. All of them completely ignored the shooter's body.

A few hours later, Tony would find out both of the hostages had survived from the man that had grabbed him earlier, but for now, he just turned away feeling completely despairing and melancholy, knowing it had been his fault the other hadn't survived. Knowing he should have shot earlier.


	35. Say Something?

**Disclaimer: I own nothing as usual- also, the song in this chapter is Say Something by A Great Big World and Christina Aguilera**

* * *

Two days passed.

Kurt had stuck to his decision, barely talking to Blaine though it pained him to- he never felt like this last time. It wasn't a physical pain unlike when he was on the rooftop, it was different, hard to pinpoint but definitely there.

He had an idea of what it could be, but refused to acknowledge it- it was impossible anyway, right? It couldn't be what he suspected, they were friends, and only friends. Besides, Blaine didn't like him that way, he couldn't- he was broken unlike all the other people who could date. And Kurt knew this, so why was it hurting so bad?

Meanwhile, Blaine tried to get Kurt to talk to him- he thought they were friends, maybe verging on more, so why was Kurt ignoring him? He'd told Cooper this whilst Kurt had been sleeping, confessing his thoughts to his older brother and hoping he could understand them.

"Well it's obvious, squirt. Think about it, why did you take the bullet for him?"

"Because I didn't want him to get hurt," answered Blaine without even having to think about it, "he doesn't deserve it."

"And why's that?"

"He's been through too much already-"

"But you've been through a lot too, Sadie Hawkins, remember? So what was the real reason?"

"I- wait, that was the real reason! Anyway he's my best friend."

"Yeeeah, and that explains why you've barely smiled the last few days.."

"..He's not been talking to me.." said Blaine eventually, eyes drifting towards the lump under the covers of the bed next to his.

"Blainers, are you an idiot? Of course he hasn't, he's scared! It's you who needs to talk to him. That's how me and Stephanie broke up, lack of communication."

"We're not dating!"

"You should be." Cooper muttered, low enough that Blaine couldn't hear.

"What?"

"Doesn't matter- look I need to go phone my agent. A new part in a movie's come up which I should be perfect for- I'm getting the audition script sent through as we speak, it's gonna be awesome. Anyway, remember what I said! I'll see you soon."

That night was the third since Kurt had started ignoring him. Blaine hadn't slept much, contemplating Cooper's words. He'd tried to talk to Kurt, he'd done everything: simply talking to him and hoping for an answer, writing letters and getting his brother to place them on Kurt's bedside to read in his own time, he'd even drawn silly pictures, trying to earn a smile.

What he didn't know of course, was Kurt secretly read them when Blaine slept, feeling a tug of his heart (though he'd never admit it) as he looked at the pictures. Often, they were of Iron Man with an assortment of other characters, usually from Disney. It might have been coincidence, but Kurt was touched that Blaine had remembered the first film they'd watched together.

Another day passed. Burt had visited but Blaine's father and Cooper had been unable to- something about the house being repainted. Instead, Blaine had talked to Burt whilst Kurt slept, although Blaine had a suspicion the boy was faking. His breathing was more uneven than it was when he slept, usually it was lighter too. Not that Blaine had memorized Kurt's sleeping or anything.

That was also the day he found out about what happened to Karofsky. He wasn't sure how to feel about that.

It was actually the day after that when Blaine first heard it. He'd been slowly weaned off the morphine and onto another painkiller that was supposedly less addictive. It did make the pain more prominent though.

It was near half three in the the morning when he woke up, his shoulder hurting like he'd been shot again.

He cursed under his breath, wanting to massage away the pain but knowing he'd disrupt the stitches if he did. Knowing there was no way to make to make the ache subside, Blaine closed his eyes, hoping to escape it that way.

It was only when he closed his eyes and began to focus on the different noises which filled the room- yet another attempt at distracting himself from the pain- that he heard the whimpering.

It wasn't whimpering as such, it was more as if someone was crying, yet trying to conceal it. It reminded Blaine of when he'd been in fourth grade and he'd lost Cooper's power rangers toy he borrowed and hid in a cupboard to avoid having to tell him. The only difference was this crying sounded so much more raw and vulnerable, as if the world was collapsing around them. It didn't take a genius to realise who it was coming from, the clue being there were only two people in the room, and Blaine was certain the sounds weren't coming from him.

Slowly, Blaine twisted his head so he could see Kurt, though what he'd say to him, he had no idea. Unfortunately, as he did so, the overly starched bed creaked, making the noises stop after an audible gulp of air, as if Kurt was holding his breath.

"Kurt?"

Blaine's voice was like a megaphone in the silence, splintering the fragile cloud of laconism which hung over the room. As Blaine expected, he gained no reply.

"Kurt.. please- say something?"

He wasn't going to give up on Kurt- he couldn't.

"Kurt? I- I miss you."

It was a simple phrase, yet there was no other way to put it. He missed the way his cerulean blue eyes would light up when he saw something he liked. He missed Kurt's adorable blush when he would bring him coffee in the morning and the way his hair would be unbrushed, reminding Blaine of an endearing kitten. He missed the way Kurt would bake utterly delectable cookies then barely eat any so Blaine would end up almost feeding him them.

But most of all, he missed their friendship and the fact that he'd seemed to have lost it.

"Kurt... will you at least look at me?"

The pain was evident in Blaine's voice now as he whispered the words, his heart shattering even more if possible when the other boy lay still. He began to think back through the time he had known Kurt, wondering if that would be the key to the mystery of how to make Kurt smile again.

One of the most prominent memories was of when Kurt had been visited by Finn and Puck, the group had been almost inseparable those two days and it was hard to remember if Kurt had been any happier before then. Blaine doubted it.

Still, he didn't think that would make him smile- his dad had sat with him during most days and yet Kurt was still quiet and drawn in on himself which was odd, considering how close Kurt had told him they were.

Another memory of him showed Kurt when the pair had first met and when Blaine had just been explaining how he didn't hate him for moving in with him. That happiness was different, it was more introverted and less clear. It was a happiness for acceptance.

However, there was one that was clearer than the rest, though Blaine wasn't too sure if it counted as a happy memory. It almost certainty didn't.

The memory was from when Harrison had made Kurt have a panic attack and Blaine had ended up hugging him and singing 'everybody hurts' to him. Eventually, Kurt had calmed down enough and had just been sitting, holding onto Blaine. Though Kurt had never spoken about his old glee club, Blaine knew the new directions often sung about their problems as a way of healing, and Blaine wondered if that was why they had connected. Through song.

"Kurt? I-"

He paused, not knowing what to say.

"I'm sorry. You- you don't deserve this and I-" Blaine's voice cracked, "just please don't shut me out.."

_Say something, I'm giving up on you._

_I'll be the one, if you want me to._

_Anywhere, I would've followed you._

_Say something, I'm giving up on you._

As he sung, his voice was quiet and shaky, still unsure of himself as he tried to get his message across to Kurt. It contrasted greatly to Blaine's usual singing voice, this time each word was laced with his doubts and confusions. Would Kurt ever even look at him again? Did Kurt hate him for bringing him outside and making it easier for Karofsky to reach him? Or worse, did Kurt blame himself?

_And I am feeling so small._

_It was over my head_

_I know nothing at all._

Everything that happened was over his head- over both their heads. Neither were adults and neither deserved what had happened to them. And now Blaine's insecurities were over his head to, and without Kurt, he was drowning.

_And I will stumble and fall._

_I'm still learning to love_

_Just starting to crawl._

_Say something, I'm giving up on you._

_I'm sorry that I couldn't get to you._

_Anywhere, I would've followed you._

_Say something, I'm giving up on you_.

Anything. Even just a tiny look- anything to tell him that he hadn't given up. That he was still fighting, and that their friendship wasn't lost. Say anything.

_And I will swallow my pride._

_You're the one that I love_

_And I'm saying goodbye._

Tears were beginning to form as he looked over at the still lump on Kurt's bed. Since Blaine had started talking, it hadn't moved at all and Blaine wondered if he'd just made things worse. Although in the song he may be saying goodbye, Blaine knew he never could to Kurt.

_Say something, I'm giving up on you._

_And I'm sorry that I couldn't get to you._

_And anywhere, I would have followed you_

_Say something, I'm giving up on you._

If Blaine could rewrite history, he would change every bad thing that had ever happened to Kurt. He would fix all his problems with a snap of his fingers. But he couldn't. So maybe saying sorry was the best place to start.

_Say something, I'm giving up on you._

_Say something..._

"Please Kurt- I think I.. I think I might love you."

As Blaine looked over at the other bed through wet eyes, he saw the boy still hadn't moved, and his breathing was deep and even. He wondered if Kurt had even heard him at all.

* * *

The next day Blaine awoke late, courtesy of the awakening last night. Kurt was sat up on his bed, Theo, Fors, Wes and David crowding around him, none of them noticing he was awake yet. Though it was the group of visitors who were doing the talking, Kurt had a small smile playing on his face and, momentarily, Blaine just lay there, watching him. It had to be the happiest Kurt had appeared since he'd entered the hospital.

"So I told them it wouldn't be strong enough to hold them both, of course, they didn't listen-"

"Yeah, but you didn't use those exact words," cut in Fors as David continued to tell Kurt the story. Blaine recognised it already; this particular memory was famous around Dalton- it was pretty much a legend.

"I seem to remember a lot more threats and swears," agreed Theo.

"Shh! Anyway, I said it wouldn't be strong enough, but the still decided the rope would hold, so there they were, dangling over Wes' bed as he slept-"

"We weren't dangling, we had complete control of the situation-"

"Except you fell. Onto me," Wes glared at the twins.

"At which point they all fell off the bed and got soaked from the cups of water they'd put there earlier."

"And all that for a gavel," finished off Blaine, deciding it was time to announce his presence. Hearing his voice, David jumped enough to make him nearly fall off the bed where he was sitting while Kurt looked over at him smiling, before dropping the contact quickly.

"Blaine!" Four voices shouted at once before Blaine was crushed in a hug, it only stopping when Blaine gave a loud shout of pain as they accidentally squeezing his wound.

"Oh my God, I forgot about that! Sorry!"

"Well done Fors"

"Shut up Theo."

"You shut up.'

"Both of you shut up," Wes said, stopping the argument before it could exacerbate, "how are you Blaine?"

"I'm fine, except for the bullet wound. That hurts, but I'll be okay soon."

"Well you did say you always wanted to go out with a bang."

"Was that a pun, Theo?"

"Maybe," the boy smirked, high-fiving his brother.

David sighed deeply before deciding to join Kurt at his bedside. He knew once Theo started it was hard for him to stop.

"Anyway Blaine, we brought you coffee."

"And Kurt, the nurses said you weren't allowed it though."

"But we snuck it in anyway."

"You told me you dumped it," groaned Wes at the twins, looking about to see if any of the nurses had heard.

"Well that would have been a waste."

"Besides, Kurt's not ill yet."

"But the nurses specifically said that the coffee would mess with Blaine's system more because of the drugs."

"Don't be a buzzkill Wes, it's not like we were going to let him drink it."

"Wait, what?" Blaine asked, looking around to see if the twins were joking. He hadn't had coffee in what felt like forever.

"Well what kind of friends would we be if we made you ill?"

"That would just be cruel."

"And we're anything but that."

"So we thought we'd just drink it in front of you," grinned Fors, taking a sip of the hot liquid and looking down at Blaine whilst Theo giggled.

"I hate you guys."

"Aww, are you getting cranky, Blainey? You know Kurt, when we first met Blaine, Wes and David were-"

"Okay!" Blaine said loudly, distracting the twins from telling the story of how he'd got his nickname. He knew that story all too well, yet it never got any less embarrassing. "Don't you guys have to go break into some dorms or something?"

Suddenly, the twins exchanged meaningful looks, as if they'd both remembered something. The change in their emotions was sudden, the playful grins quickly turning serious.

"Actually Blaine, we'll be right back."

"Hang on, you don't have to go, I was joking."

"Oh no, we just remembered something."

"Something very important."

"But don't worry-"

"You didn't offend us."

And with that the twins were gone and there was only Wes and David left. They stayed like that, just the four of them for a good few hours, simply chatting and wishing them get well soons only the underlying statement of gladness that both boys were still alive went unsaid, yet you could tell David and Wes were thinking it.

After three hours, the twins still hadn't returned and Wes and David were forced to have to return to Dalton in order to get back before curfew. It was nearly an hour until the gates were going close and it was and hours worth of driving to get there so they had to hurry anyway.

And that meant Kurt and Blaine were left alone for the first time since they'd both woken up.

They sat in silence for a bit, Kurt not wanting to speak and Blaine not knowing what to say. He wasn't sure whether to bring up last night or not after he wasn't sure if Kurt had heard the song. However, he knew he couldn't let the silence between them continue.

"Kurt?"

The paler boy looked up, not quite meeting Blaine's eyes but not looking away anywhere near as much he did this morning.

"I just wondered.. how are you?"

..

"Kurt?"

..

"I-" Blaine sighed, sinking deeper into his pillows, "what happened to us Kurt? Before we were best friends, don't get me wrong, we still are- just.. why are you avoiding me? What've I done wrong?"

Kurt looked up, sadness and confusion coating his features. Blaine hadn't done anything wrong- it was him.

"Because nothing that happened was your fault," continued Blaine, unable to stop now he'd started, "you couldn't control it. I'm not blaming you, the warblers aren't blaming you, heck, even Karofsky's dad isn't blaming you; none of this is your fault so why are you avoiding me?

"If it's because of me leading you outside during the dance, I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. Please, I'd- I'd do anything just say something." Suddenly Blaine had a brainwave. "Say something," he repeated, "I'm giving up on you."

For a moment, Kurt looked like he was about to cry, or breakdown but within the last few moments he caught himself. Blinking rapidly to prevent tears, Kurt glared at the ceiling, doing anything to stop himself looking at Blaine.

Without meaning to, a broken whisper escaped Kurt along with a stray tear he hurriedly wiped away.

"You can't love me Blaine. You can't."


End file.
